What do you do when trying to build a high-performing school from the ground up, with limited funding, evolving goals, and zero room for tech failures?
For Capital Preparatory Schools in Connecticut and New York, the answer was simple: find a partner who could do more than just fix computers.
Background
Capital Preparatory Schools are mission-driven charter schools committed to delivering high-quality education to underserved communities.
Like most charter networks, they operate under strict budget constraints and must make strategic choices about what to handle internally and what to outsource.
“As a start-up charter school, there are limited dollars and you have to make choices about what you’re bringing in-house and what you’re outsourcing,” said Joan Massey, President of the Capital Prep network.
When Capital Prep launched their Connecticut site, they were not only a new school but also a new organization. That meant building everything from scratch, including their IT infrastructure.
The Challenge
The leadership team at Capital Prep faced a familiar but complex challenge: provide robust educational technology for staff and students without the resources of a traditional public school district.
They needed everything — computers, projectors, copiers, wireless infrastructure, document cameras, and virtual servers — but lacked the internal bandwidth to hire, manage, and support a full IT department.
They needed more than just IT support. They needed a trusted technology advisor who understood the charter school landscape and could scale with them.
The Solution
After a competitive bidding process, Capital Prep selected Inspiroz as their outsourced IT partner.
The Inspiroz team, led by Lars Beck and Milan Patel, immediately became an extension of the Capital Prep staff—providing both on-site support and remote capabilities.
Inspiroz worked side by side with school leaders to define the technology stack from the ground up.
They didn’t just provide devices. They helped define a vision for Capital Prep’s technology—one that aligned with their goals for digital instruction and long-term sustainability.
Key solutions included:
- Recommending Microsoft Surface Pros as the ideal device for teachers shifting to digital instruction.
- Designing a right-sized wireless network to support both student and teacher needs.
- Guiding the selection of copiers, servers, and projectors that balanced quality and cost.
- Creating a technology roadmap to plan equipment replacement cycles and avoid budget surprises.
- Supporting E-Rate planning, helping Capital Prep maximize every available dollar from federal funding.
Inspiroz also ensured Capital Prep’s infrastructure could support high-stakes assessments—a pain point for many schools.
The Results
Over the course of their multi-year partnership, Inspiroz has helped Capital Prep achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes:
- Improved Academic Performance: With the addition of online content to their math curriculum, math scores improved significantly.
- Reliable Testing Environment: No system failures during state assessments for the past two years—a dramatic shift from prior issues.
- Operational Efficiency: Help desk tickets have declined, thanks to proactive support and better technology choices.
- Informed Tech Spending: Capital Prep now purchases the right equipment at the best prices, guided by experts who understand their needs and constraints.
As the network expanded to a new campus in New York, Capital Prep deepened their partnership with Inspiroz.
Now, the team supports both sites—two days a week in Connecticut and one in New York, with full remote support in between.
A Lasting Partnership
Massey credits the success to the relationship they’ve built with the Inspiroz team.
“I feel like they’re a member of our team. All our staff knows them. They’re embedded in our system and our schools. I’ve been happy with the services we’ve gotten from Inspiroz.”
What makes this partnership unique is that Inspiroz understands charter schools at a deep level.
Lars Beck and Joan Massey both led charter schools in Washington D.C., which helps them speak the same language when it comes to reporting, compliance, and fiscal realities.
“They understand our funding structure and our challenges. In Connecticut, we’re underfunded compared to the districts around us. Inspiroz helps us make smart choices so we can spend more on students and less on IT headaches.”
Want to see how Inspiroz can help your school thrive with better technology?
Call Lars directly at (610) 387-6014 or
email : lbeck@inspiroz.com
