HOLLAND, Mich. -- A $4.6 million state grant will the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District to upgrade its cybersecurity services.
It is a Michigan Department of Education Section 12c grant for Consolidation Incentive Payments. The law was passed as part of Public Act 103 of 2023.
“Through the MDE Section 12c - Consolidation Incentive Payments grant, OAISD created a Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) that can help districts protect staff and student data as well as protect the systems we rely on for communication, assessment, curriculum and more,” Chief Technology Officer for OAISD, Rex Thelen, said. “Combining services will save participating districts approximately $2 million over the course of four years when compared with the cost of districts managing services on their own.”
More information was given in an OAISD news release:
Ottawa Area Intermediate School District(OAISD) is providing cybersecurity services to 13 area school districts, thanks to $4.6 million in grant funding from the state of Michigan to consolidate technology services for Ottawa Area ISD, participating OAISD districts and Oakridge Public Schools in neighboring Muskegon County.
Consolidating services offers an economy of scale that allows districts to improve their cybersecurity through enhanced protection, network detection and response software management systems. Working as a team has allowed OAISD to create a formal incident report and threat level structure, resulting in the discovery and response to more incidents and threats.
Paul Mulder, Technology Director for Allendale Public Schools, said protecting student and staff data has always been a high priority and having a regional cybersecurity operations center is an efficient way to keep data safe for all districts.
“As cybercrime has increasingly targeted schools, we have become more and more concerned about the resources needed to prepare, prevent, and respond accordingly,” said Mulder, “Working with OAISD has helped us significantly improve our district's cybersecurity posture, safeguarding our student and staff data.”
"Even with my significant background and training around Cybersecurity, certifications and knowledge don't replace having additional capable people monitoring for threats on an ongoing basis,” added Phil Rowley, Director of Technology for Jenison Public Schools. “Cybersecurity takes every one of us helping out and we appreciate and look forward to the partnership that the OAISD CSOC provides Jenison Public Schools."
Participating school districts benefiting from the grant include Allendale, Black River, Coopersville, Grand Haven, Hamilton, Holland, Hudsonville, Jenison, OAISD, Saugatuck, Spring Lake, West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics and MAISD’s Oakridge Public School district.
OAISD was one of only five Michigan school districts to receive a portion of the $101.6 million in state funding.
Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) collaborates with local schools and communities to support the educational needs of individuals from birth through all ages in the Ottawa region. By pooling resources and delivering services on a regional scale, Ottawa Area ISD efficiently provides essential programs and services to local K-12 public, charter, and parochial schools, as well as to families and adult learners, ensuring these offerings are both comprehensive and cost-effective. www.oaisd.org
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