2017 Leader in Excellence Winner

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

SMS 2.0

Watch video 1:48

“Every child, every day.” That is the core of Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ philosophy. It summarizes the Detroit-area district’s commitment to guaranteeing every child, regardless of ability, finds success. But in the words of WLCSD, “creating this cultural ethos in a district serving 15,000 students is not without challenge. This is where Skyward enters the narrative.”

Skyward has touched almost every corner of the school system. Administrators, counselors, and teachers use the message center and Skylert to communicate with parents, and every department’s newsletter is distributed through the message center. Skylert helps the Community Ed Department to spread awareness of upcoming events and classes, and the Transportation Department to contact families if transportation issues arise. At the district level, the PR team sends information to all parents via Skyward, and parents and students access schedules, progress reports, and assignments through Family and Student Access. The district is in its second year using online enrollment. Last year, over 95% of families used the system to complete all required forms, update their contact information, and pay fees.

By switching to a paperless environment and eliminating the need to print and mail forms, letters, schedules, and report cards, the district has saved tens of thousands of dollars. In addition to reducing paper, print, and mailing fees, they’ve also shifted previous employee responsibilities from office tasks like printing, sorting, and mailing toward more value-added work that improves student achievement.

WLCSD has been recognized by national organizations including Project RED, EPSON, Cisco, USA Today, Trend Micro, and Education Week for its innovative technology programs and services. As a Skyward partner for the last 10 years, the district has implemented the majority of Skyward’s modules and also played a role in the development of the childcare feature within Fee Management.

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