District proposes replacing PowerSchool with Synergy after data breach; administration says switch will save money and improve data integrity
October 15, 2025 | Penncrest SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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A district staff member described steps Oct. 14 to replace the district’s student information system (SIS), currently PowerSchool, with Synergy after last year’s PowerSchool data breach.
The staff member said the district vetted six systems and worked with Central Susquehanna IU (CSIU) on Synergy. He said Synergy uses a single database (reducing the district’s current synchronization issues across multiple modules), includes modules the district now purchases separately, and provides unlimited phone support from a U.S.‑based help desk. The staff member said PowerSchool’s support is billed “by the minute,” whereas Synergy’s support is unlimited, and that a migration would run in parallel while data are converted.
On costs, the staff member said switching would save about $15,000 in the first year (including start‑up fees) and about $25,000 the second year because the district would no longer pay certain PowerSchool fees. The quoted per‑student price was $15.99 in the proposal; the staff member said that rate is locked for next year but not permanently guaranteed beyond the quoted term.
District stakeholders who reviewed the proposal — guidance staff, secretaries and the business manager — reportedly supported the change for ease of use and support. The staff member recommended starting configuration work so the system would be ready for the 2026–2027 school year; a parallel migration year would allow data testing before a full cutover.
Ending: The committee heard the proposal and asked questions about backup and redundancy, parent and student portals, integration with Schoology, and cybersecurity due diligence; no final board vote was taken during the committee session.
The staff member said the district vetted six systems and worked with Central Susquehanna IU (CSIU) on Synergy. He said Synergy uses a single database (reducing the district’s current synchronization issues across multiple modules), includes modules the district now purchases separately, and provides unlimited phone support from a U.S.‑based help desk. The staff member said PowerSchool’s support is billed “by the minute,” whereas Synergy’s support is unlimited, and that a migration would run in parallel while data are converted.
On costs, the staff member said switching would save about $15,000 in the first year (including start‑up fees) and about $25,000 the second year because the district would no longer pay certain PowerSchool fees. The quoted per‑student price was $15.99 in the proposal; the staff member said that rate is locked for next year but not permanently guaranteed beyond the quoted term.
District stakeholders who reviewed the proposal — guidance staff, secretaries and the business manager — reportedly supported the change for ease of use and support. The staff member recommended starting configuration work so the system would be ready for the 2026–2027 school year; a parallel migration year would allow data testing before a full cutover.
Ending: The committee heard the proposal and asked questions about backup and redundancy, parent and student portals, integration with Schoology, and cybersecurity due diligence; no final board vote was taken during the committee session.
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