The Governor’s signature formally makes Wisconsin a multi-vendor state

For the City-Times

Skyward, Inc., an industry leading K-12 school administration software provider, commends Gov. Scott Walker on signing the 2013-2015 Biennial State Budget. Gov. Walker signed the budget on June 30, signaling Wisconsin as a multi-vendor state for its Statewide Student Information System (SSIS).

“The budget is always an important piece of legislation for our state, but this time it became a lot more personal for Skyward and its customers,” said Scott Glinski, president of Skyward. “The inclusion of the provision to support a multi-vendor SSIS, which enables school districts statewide to choose among vendors, was paramount for the state to continue to serve Wisconsin schools and honor Wisconsin taxpayers. While the journey to get to this point was long and contentious, the governing bodies of this state acted in the best interest of the taxpayers, school districts and businesses when they supported this element of the bill. Wisconsin is following the industry trends for states to utilize a multi-vendor system, offering a competitive marketplace while still allowing for local control.”

“We look forward to continuing to empower the more than 50 percent of Wisconsin school districts that use our Student Management Suite, and the more than 80 percent of districts in the state that use our School Business Suite,” continued Glinski. “Skyward is thankful for the outpouring of support from school district leaders, parents and residents in Wisconsin throughout the entire process and we look forward to growing our business here that will create hundreds of well-paying technology related jobs ”

Skyward extends a special thank you to our customers along with our local legislators Sen. Julie Lassa, Rep. Scott Krug, Rep. Katrina Shankland, Rep. John Spiros, and Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink who came together in a non-partisan effort that brought this issue to the forefront and ultimately a successful resolution.  Finally, we are extremely grateful to Senator Mary Lazich and her indispensable role as a member of the Joint Finance Committee that offered the multi-vendor budget amendment that made this possible.

About Skyward

Skyward is a leading provider of K-12 school administrative software that surpasses districts’ needs in state reporting, improves operational capabilities, and opens communication between schools and families. Today, the Skyward School Management System™ is used in more than 1,600 school districts worldwide, ranging from districts with as few as 50 students to statewide implementations supporting more than 800,000 students. Founded in 1980, Skyward serves school districts with its integrated student, finance, and human resources suite of products and is proudly made and supported in the United States. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com.