Middleton-Cross Plains Area SD

School/District Logo
Industry
K–12
Enrollment
6000
Region
Midwest

Middleton-Cross Plains Area SD

School/District Logo
Industry
K–12
Enrollment
6000
Region
Midwest
Profile
Profile

A District in Search of Better Access

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, located in south-central Wisconsin near Madison, serves over 6,000 students across 14 schools. 

Products Used:
Project Leads:
Challenge
Challenge

When Technology Becomes a Roadblock

In an effort to improve remote file access for teachers and staff, the district originally purchased software that allowed access to school files from home. However, it proved difficult to use and riddled with bugs. It often prevented users from seeing certain folders. Even after upgrading to a higher-tier package, the issues persisted. Teachers and staff found the system frustrating, and it failed to meet the district’s needs. Middleton-Cross needed a solution that was not only user-friendly but also reliable and capable of supporting both local and cloud-based storage.  

Solution
Solution

From Chaos to Convenience

Middleton-Cross implemented ClassLink as a cost-effective alternative. ClassLink’s clean interface resolved folder visibility issues and enabled access to various storage platforms, including Google Drive. Faculty could now see and edit all their files from any location.

ClassLink also introduced single sign-on (SSO), allowing staff to log in once and instantly access digital resources from any device. The district completed setup in under an hour, with all accounts automatically provisioned through Active Directory.

Since adopting ClassLink, Middleton-Cross has improved faculty access to digital resources while reducing costs. Teachers and staff now enjoy a smooth, reliable experience that enhances productivity and eliminates the frustrations of their previous system.

Jim Blodgett
Director of Technology at Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
School Logo

Middleton-Cross Plains Area SD

Wisconsin
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Everyone Now Has Instant and Anywhere Access to School Network Folders

The Challenge

“It was clunky and hard to use. Nobody liked it.” That was the faculty’s response to Middleton’s old file access solution. The district had purchased software that allowed teachers and staff to access their school files from home. But in addition to the cumbersome interface, the software had bugs preventing certain folders from being seen.

Even after upgrading to the top-tier package, the bugs remained. So James Blodgett, Director of Technology at Middleton-Cross, went in search of something better.

Choosing ClassLink

He found a solution in ClassLink, the one click single sign-on platform with remote access to files at school and in the cloud. ClassLink had a cleaner interface than their old solution, and had no trouble showing every folder on their network. Plus, it gave access to other types of storage used by the district, like Google Drive.

“We could see all of our files and edit them directly,” James said. “And it was costing us less than our previous solution.”

But simplifying files access wasn’t the only thing ClassLink did. It also provided single sign-on to web resources from any device—something the district never had before. By logging in once, faculty could now access native apps and websites instantly, from any device.

The Outcome

ClassLink has been in use at Middleton-Cross since the start of 2015. Initial set up took less than an hour, and all accounts were automatically provisioned through Active Directory.

“Everybody I’ve talked to at Middleton likes how ClassLink is working for them. Thanks to ClassLink, they can work faster and access their files with ease.”

Jim Blodgett
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District