TransACT Communications (transact.com) has acquired App-Garden (app-garden.com), a leader in K-12 transportation and operations administrative software. The App-Garden team has over 27 years of experience in developing easy-to-use administrative software to support school bus routing, field trip management, event scheduling and facilities management, volunteer operations, virtual substitute teacher training, and more. Working together, TransACT and The App-Garden are proud to offer K12 administrators cost effective software and outstanding customer service to help improve operations and service delivery in school district operations.
Recent Posts by Alyssa Thornley
Alyssa Thornley has spent her career working to support schools and communities in providing opportunity to all students. In positions as a teacher, professional development coordinator, and as a volunteer, she has focused on the community’s role in education, and in designing efficient programs that work for diverse needs. Alyssa leads TransACT’s customer engagement and market strategy efforts, and works to ensure innovative programs, guidance, and thought leadership from across the country’s districts are being shared and spread.
What Is a Cashless School and Is It Right for Your District?
on December 3, 2019
| By Alyssa Thornley
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Cashless School
Today, half of all bill payments are digital—and that number is expected to reach 75% by 2022. Consumers both want and expect digital payment options, parents and families included. Technology is empowering an increasing number of school districts to go cashless by offering digital payment options for fee collection.
TransACT-RightLabs Sponsors National Philanthropy Day for 11th Year
on November 22, 2019
| By Alyssa Thornley
Continuing Our Tradition of Support as Official Partner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Edmonton Chapter
Choosing between fee management solutions can be a difficult and time-consuming process—especially on top of one’s primary responsibilities as a school administrator. ActivityRight is a student form and activity management solution with fee collection capabilities, approval workflows, and many other attributes not commonly found in fee management software. This article highlights key features and differentiators that are unique to ActivityRight to aid administrators in the vendor selection process.
How a School Communication Plan Can Improve Community Relations Within Your District
on November 7, 2019
| By Alyssa Thornley
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School Communication Plan
Effective, two-way communication is essential in school districts for many reasons, from keeping parents and families updated on the latest information to complying with federal laws. Schools experience a number of benefits from having a strategic communication plan in place, and improving community relations within the district is one of the most significant. This article highlights how a detailed school communication plan (and the right vendor partner) can help improve community relations within districts.
Manual processes and data silos tend to lead to mistakes and inadequate financial oversight. However, when all of a school system’s data is integrated in one location, there is improved data accuracy and less room for error. Integrating accounting requirements into other departments in the school district helps make sure activity fees are accurately recorded and collected. Fees arrive in the bank account faster, as parents can pay directly from a mobile phone, and money is directed to a designated bank account determined by the accounting team. Eliminating cash payments means teachers and administrators no longer need to worry about collecting payments, learning accounting codes, or navigating the general ledger.
4 Steps to Becoming a Paperless and Cashless School District
on October 25, 2019
| By Alyssa Thornley
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Cashless School
What does the modern school system look like? Technology is empowering many school districts today to explore paperless and cashless initiatives by offering digital options for fees, forms, and communication.
There are many benefits to investing in school management software—but it can still be hard to gain buy-in from stakeholders. Overall, school management software is both cost effective and convenient—it saves time that would otherwise be wasted on manual, inefficient processes and streamlines everything from communication to internal workflows and improves parent and family engagement throughout school districts. Here are some items to consider and share with stake-holders to help gain the buy-in needed to implement a school management solution at your school or district.
What's Trending: Top 7 Technology Tools for Teachers
on August 14, 2019
| By Alyssa Thornley
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Automation
Many industries have adapted as a result of innovations in technology, and education is no exception. Technology is transforming the classroom and how administrators operate, presenting new opportunities for students to learn in digital environments. As a result, there are several technology tools for teachers on the market today. When a teacher is busy leading a classroom, it can be hard to keep up in an ever-evolving digital world.
From eliminating silos to reducing workloads throughout the district, there are many benefits to integrating the collection of school fees with the student information system (SIS) in a school system—not to mention many things to consider to make sure the process goes smoothly. In this article, we’ll talk about the benefits of consolidating systems, along with tips for successfully managing the integration of fee collection software and the SIS.
