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Penn Manor staff recommends Skyward for finance and HR systems; board will vote in November
Summary
District staff told the board that Skyward offers an integrated finance/HR platform, better reporting and lower long-term costs than the current Tyler Munis system; the board voted 8-0 to place a contract decision on the Nov. 3 agenda.
District business officials recommended replacing the Penn Manor School District's aging finance and human-resources software with Skyward and asked the board to consider a final contract vote on Nov. 3.
The recommendation came from business office staff during the Oct. 6 Committee of the Whole. Charlie Reisinger summarized the district's long history with older systems, saying Munis had been "very stagnant" and that Skyward's integrated modules would reduce repetitive spreadsheet work and improve position control. "We're going to be recommending, we're gonna get a far better system and we're gonna spend a lot less money in the long run," Reisinger told trustees.
Why it matters: The change would alter core payroll, purchasing and reporting workflows used across the district and affect annual software expenditures. Staff showed a four-year implementation and cost comparison that included an upfront implementation estimate (about $160,000) and a hosted-cost quartile near $116,000. Current annual payments to Tyler Technologies were cited at about $81,000; staff said the Skyward annual expense is expected to be considerably lower after the implementation payback.
What staff said: Reisinger and Dan Forrick emphasized Skyward's integrated data flow from HR to payroll to purchasing and its ability to produce the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) and other required state reports without heavy manual spreadsheet work. Reisinger said Skyward's employee portal and mobile app were additional operational benefits that the district lacks under the current platform.
Questions from trustees focused on data migration, implementation risk and timelines. Staff said the district will run parallel systems during migration and that Skyward's team has experience migrating from Tyler in Pennsylvania districts; Reisinger described a planned implementation just under a year if the board approves next month.
Board action: A trustee moved to place the recommended contract on the Nov. 3 agenda; the motion was seconded and passed 8-0. Staff said a final contract with redline changes remains under review and that they expect to return with a final vote in November.
Next steps: The board will consider a formal contract vote at its Nov. 3 meeting if the administration completes the redline review and the district completes financial and implementation planning.
