Buffalo Valley Public Schools Leverages Technology to Provide New Opportunities for Students and Teachers

On an August morning in 2019, Jerry Mathews awoke to discover that Buffalo Valley Public School’s (BVPS) primary domain controller had lost function due to a failed motherboard.  The school’s budget could not cover the cost to replace the server, so Mathews investigated other options. He learned that OneNet offers a virtual infrastructure service that is highly cost-effective, reliable, and secure.

Mathews, who serves as a teacher and technology director for BVPS, said, “We migrated to OneNet’s virtual infrastructure and haven’t looked back since!”

Mathews has found several benefits to utilizing these services rather than hosting on-premise equipment.

“Having service with OneNet has been a great time saver, because I do not worry as much about attacks on the system since OneNet has a strong cybersecurity infrastructure and they take care of the maintenance of the hardware. I am no longer concerned about coming in to find my server has died in the night,” said Mathews.

OneNet’s affordable virtual infrastructure allows subscribers to run servers through OneNet’s highly-resilient and reliable cloud service to maintain mission-critical systems and features built-in disaster recovery. BVPS leverages OneNet’s network capabilities to link virtual colocation seamlessly and securely to their campus. OneNet’s enterprise also provides secure access for Mathews—a benefit he highly values.

“One of the biggest advantages is the remote access. Before, I was keeping a third-party app running on the network to be able to login from home. I always felt a little vulnerable. OneNet’s service allows for this through a much more secure method,” Mathews said.

BVPS’s connection to OneNet extends far beyond the virtual infrastructure service. BVPS has been a OneNet subscriber since 1997. Their longtime connectivity has changed overtime to address district needs. Due to their remote location in Talihina, Oklahoma, BVPS initially struggled to establish a local internet connection that could adapt with them as their needs increased, all while maintaining strong connection.

BVPS now has a 2Gbps circuit with OneNet and has expanded to use several of OneNet’s services including shared web hosting, data storage, virtual infrastructure, managed firewall, content filtering, managed router services, and video conferencing.

These services have enabled BVPS to achieve new technological advancements for students in education despite their remote location. “OneNet has pushed for our students to have the same level of educational opportunities offered to any other school, and I cannot thank them enough for that,” said Mathews.

“OneNet services have allowed our students to attend virtual field trips, take college courses, speak with a variety of people in various specializations from around the world, independently pursue academic and personal interests, and have access to tutoring services and learning experiences that would otherwise be unavailable due to time, money, or logistics.”

Connectivity to resources not only extends to students but also educators within the state of Oklahoma to create a workforce that addresses further education needs while saving time and money.

“For our teachers, it has opened the possibilities for professional and personal growth. There are a lot of great and unique workshops and trainings that are happening all the time; however, they are mostly in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, etc. This requires long trips, hotel stays, and other expenses that can strain a school’s or teacher’s budget,” explained Mathews.

“With the connections provided by OneNet, our teachers can attend these experiences in a much more cost-effective manner. In addition, our teachers have used it to do online courses to get a master’s degree and participated in various certification programs over the years.”

In addition to OneNet services, BVPS has maximized other resources to enhance growth and learning for students. BVPS utilized COVID-19 relief funding to bridge the technology gap for students, by expanding their  1:1 initiative to provide devices for students, and the school has even leveraged their connectivity to form an eSports program for their students.

When asked why did Mathews chose OneNet for his district’s internet services, he had this to say:

“The better question is: Why do we stay with OneNet? The answer to that is dedication. I am not referring to the school’s dedication to OneNet, but OneNet’s dedication to the school.”

It is subscribers like Jerry Mathews and his work at BVPS that drives OneNet’s team to see new ways to create value for subscribers across our state.

“We’re glad to see how Buffalo Valley Public Schools has grown in unimaginable ways, and OneNet looks forward to helping them continue to create growth and possibility for the district and its students, educators, and parents,” said OneNet Executive Director John Hennessey.

Mathews looks to the future with hope and optimism for his district.

“We constantly review where to go next and what our options are to enhance local technological needs for learning. But, whatever it is, we know that our partnership with OneNet will be a vital component in these goals,” Mathews said.