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2025 Leader in Excellence Winners
#District Stories
Cassidy Downs
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Cassidy Downs Public Relations Specialist |
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Skyward has been presenting this award since 2015, and we are excited to announce the 2025 winners... 🥁
Mark McKenzie (SMS 2.0)
Director of Internal Accounts and Systems, Pennsylvania For over a decade, Mark McKenzie has been the secret weapon behind Allentown School District’s success with SMS 2.0. As the district’s Skyward expert, he’s not just solving problems — he’s elevating his entire team’s ability to make smarter, more efficient decisions. Mark is always there to guide staff through tricky issues, explain complex features, and ensure everyone is getting the most out of the system. Whether it’s a quick answer via email or a detailed training session, Mark’s responsive, clear, and patient approach has made him a trusted resource for all staff at Allentown.
Mark’s influence reaches far beyond user support. He’s been instrumental in managing and shaping the district’s budget and HR processes, from overseeing complex grant structures to designing employee management systems for union contracts. He always finds a way to improve Skyward in order to ensure Allentown stays ahead of the curve (and any curveballs.)
Through year-round training, one-on-one sessions, and his tireless attention to detail, Mark has become the go-to person for all things Skyward. His expertise, dedication, and proactive approach have made him an essential part of the district’s daily operations. His commitment has turned Skyward into not just a system, but a key driver of the district’s success.
Bill Young (SMS 2.0)
Executive Director of Information Services, Texas Bill Young is a key leader in Grand Prairie ISD’s use of Skyward SMS 2.0, driving significant improvements in data management, enrollment processes, and overall efficiency. As the district’s PEIMS expert, he ensures compliance with Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability and federal funding requirements by working closely with principals. Bill recently modernized key district operations by leading the transition to online student registration and implementing master scheduling for elementary schools.
Bill’s strategic use of Skyward features, such as processing lists, imports, and scheduled tasks, saved GPISD hundreds of hours and ensured data accuracy, safeguarding essential funding. His high standards and process-driven approach created a culture of accountability across the district.
In addition to his technical expertise, Bill leads ongoing training for staff, ensuring they can use Skyward to suit their needs. He also spearheaded the district’s electronic enrollment efforts, with campuses already reaching 80% registration completion for the upcoming school year. Bill’s work with NSOE simplified the enrollment process for parents and saved resources.
Bill's leadership at GPISD has been transformative, saving time, resources, and effort for students, staff, and families alike.
Cornwall-Lebanon School District (SMS 2.0)
Pennsylvania A dedicated user since 2009, Cornwall-Lebanon School District harnessed SMS 2.0 to enhance data accuracy, streamline staff onboarding, and automate key processes. By using Skyward’s API connections, Skybuild, and other integrations, the district made it easier for students to access curriculum tools without managing multiple logins. New staff get onboarded quickly, with rostering and system integrations, enabling teachers to start using instructional tools within a day.
Skyward’s automation tools saved CLSD countless hours, from simplifying emergency planning to gathering data for school awards. The district also improved communication with families through Skyward’s Message Center and integrated School Messenger for emergency broadcasts. Transcript and report card customizations have allowed the district to better showcase student achievements, including state-required Industry Credentials.
Through their creative use of SMS 2.0, CLSD saved time by automating repetitive tasks, enabling the technology team to take on additional responsibilities without adding staff hours. Their use of Skyward has saved the district over 50 man-hours annually, making a greater educational experience focused on students, staff, and families.
Matt Cooper (Qmlativ)
Business Analyst, TexasWith a focus on efficiency and innovation, Matt Cooper has been instrumental in optimizing Prosper ISD’s use of Qmlativ. One of his notable achievements was redesigning the process for reporting and approving missed time punches by incorporating an online form and dashboard tiles, which sped up the process and eliminated inefficiencies. Additionally, he implemented a daily report to assist office staff with punch corrections, further simplifying the workflow.
Matt’s communication and collaboration skills have been essential throughout the Skyward rollout. He developed a support website with helpful resources, conducted “Lunch and Learns,” and held ongoing office hours for staff, ensuring Qmlativ could be as accessible as possible to all of Prosper ISD’s staff. He also led the conversion to eCommerce vendors, which greatly expedited the district’s purchasing process.
Matt’s work in optimizing payroll and HR processes has saved PISD significant time. By reducing payroll processing from days to hours and cutting the HR dual-entry period from two months to just four days, he made a major impact during the Qmlativ go-live.
Matt’s leadership, focus on continuous improvement, and ability to drive efficiency have made him an invaluable asset at PISD.
Samantha Hennig (Qmlativ)
Accountant III, TexasSamantha Hennig, a Business Manager for Region 12, has played a key role in enhancing Mart ISD’s operations by capitalizing on Qmlativ’s capabilities. Through targeted training and ongoing support, she significantly improved staff proficiency with the solution, reducing errors and streamlining administrative tasks. Samantha's hands-on approach includes tailored sessions and one-on-one coaching, which helped district employees navigate both basic and advanced features of Skyward—particularly in financial tools—leading to better financial oversight and decision-making.
Self-taught in Qmlativ, Samantha has become an expert in the software’s financial components. These skills helped other districts adopt and use Skyward, further broadening her impact. Her proactive problem-solving and mentorship empowered staff to adopt new practices, leading to a 25% reduction in administrative task time and a 20% decrease in budgeting and reporting errors.
Samantha's contributions also led to the district’s transition to a paperless system, making operations less bulky and time consuming, and enabling remote auditing. Through her leadership, dedication, and continuous drive for improvement, Samantha made a lasting, positive impact on Mart ISD by fostering a more efficient, error-free work environment.
Liz Martinez (Qmlativ)
Director of Student Information Systems, TexasLiz Martinez has been a pivotal leader in maximizing Skyward’s impact at YES Prep. As the district’s first Director of SIS, Liz has overseen key advancements, including the implementation of Qmlativ during the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced online forms, wellness tracking, and improved data accessibility for families.
A standout achievement was her successful rollout of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, which eased the tracking of 925 intervention plans, 3,362 progress checkpoints, and 2,596 assessment accommodations, helping elementary students stay on track for college readiness.
Liz also led the integration of Skyward with SchoolMint Enroll, reducing a time-consuming three-hour manual enrollment process to a real-time, 15-minute task. Her work in streamlining after-school program tracking and intervention progress monitoring has saved staff hours, boosting overall productivity.
From her early days as a registrar to her current leadership role, Liz has been instrumental in making Skyward a powerful tool for YES Prep, enhancing data accessibility, operational efficiency, and student success.
Woodstock Community Unit School District #200 (Qmlativ)
IllinoisIn the words of staff at Woodstock Community Unit School District #200, Skyward has been nothing short of revolutionary. Since adopting Qmlativ in early 2023, D200 has tackled significant business office challenges in a short time, delivering impressive results that speak volumes about their commitment to efficiency and innovation.
One standout achievement is D200’s move to a paperless system. With just one person at the helm, the district mechanized and scanned all accounts payable invoices, drastically reducing paper use. They’ve also transitioned payroll remittance advices and time-off tracking to Qmlativ, enabling easy online requests and approvals. D200 is currently working on implementing the time tracking feature to eliminate timesheets altogether, bringing even more efficiency to district operations.
The savings and efficiency gains D200 made have been truly impressive. Some of the standout numbers include:
- 10 hours saved each month by eliminating the need to print and distribute paychecks.
- $10,000 saved annually on check stock, envelopes, and toner.
- $80,000 per year saved in support costs for their previous financial system, now replaced by Skyward.
- $7,000 per year in tax software support savings.
- $6,100 per year saved on printing software support.
Consolidated High School District 230 (SMS 2.0 to Qmlativ)
IllinoisMigrating to a new system is never easy, but Consolidated High School District 230 (D230)'s transition from SMS 2.0 to Qmlativ was an impressive success, with leadership fully engaged throughout the process.
As one of the first districts in Illinois to make the switch, D230 partnered closely with Skyward to not only ensure a seamless migration for themselves but also to pave the way for other districts planning similar transitions. The D230 team’s dedication extended beyond their own success—they have been steadfast in supporting other Illinois districts in adopting Qmlativ, sharing their expertise and experiences to ensure smoother transitions across the state.
Today, D230 continues to lead the way in educational technology, setting a positive example for Illinois schools with their proactive approach, collaborative spirit, and commitment to innovation.
Congratulations to these outstanding leaders! Each recipient received a free registration for iCon, a multi-day conference for Skyward users. We hope to see you at next year's event!
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