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NESD upgrading administrative software

Financial services is planning to have the $110,000 software implemented by the fiscal year end of Aug. 31.
North East School Division 2
The North East School Division is replacing and upgrading software for its financial, human resources and payroll departments.
EAST CENTRAL — The North East School Division (NESD) board has approved $110,000 for computer software replacement and upgrades for the division’s financial, human resources and payroll departments.

In the 2020-21 budget, the board approved $330,000 for the technology upgrade, but due to the installation being delayed to the 2021-22 fiscal year administration required a new board motion.

Financial services is planned to have the software implemented by the fiscal year end of Aug. 31, while payroll and human resource departments are expected to complete in November.

Sparkrock was chosen as the software the division would implement, with it being initially set for installation in July 2021.

“It’s a big piece of software to replace software that we had in place since 2006,” said Don Rempel, NESD’s director of education. “You get to the point where the updates are almost just as expensive as an improved software piece.”

In a report to the board, administration attributed the delay to the “aggressive” time frames, Sparkrock changing project managers twice, and Sparkrock being unfamiliar with online rather than in-person Key User Training and more time was needed than expected because of it.

The actual cost of the software implementation is expected to be approximately $250,000.