Are you (and your staff) working overtime during peak enrollment weeks? Do you find that your current system is outdated and pushed to the limit by relying on manual forms of data management? Would you like to expand your institution and enroll more students?
If any of these apply to your current situation, then you may benefit from an online registration system. But when choosing an online system, consider the needs of all stakeholders: the school, students, admin, district, and parents. Include representatives from each area in the discussion to best assess the needs of each group (parents want registration to be quick and easy, while administrators want to collect a lot of data).
During the decision process, compare systems thoroughly to ensure you are getting the one that best suits your needs. Can the system be used year-round? Can you create your own forms? Does the company provide adequate customer support? Does the system integrate with your current SIS?
Ensuring upfront that a system meets all of your needs can reduce stressful and time-consuming activities later on. Consider features like lottery management if you participate in selective enrollment or a payment processing solution and webstore if you’d like to sell items and collect fees and donations.
Any company can create an online registration system, but companies that specialize in the K-12 market truly understand the needs of K-12 schools, such as residency verification alerts, recouping fees for lost textbooks, and providing customized forms and reports.
