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Owen J. Roberts SD to review SchoolPay and alternatives for online payments, cites Premier Edge integration as key constraint
Summary
The district's technology and business offices will conduct a competitive evaluation of SchoolPay and other vendors, prioritizing integration with Premier Edge (food‑service POS) and cost for families; a review is planned with a goal of concluding by end of school year.
The Owen J. Roberts School District technology and business offices told the board Feb. 2 that they will conduct a formal review of the district’s credit‑card payment platform, currently SchoolPay, to determine whether it remains the best option for families and the district.
Mr. Chester (technology committee) introduced the review and said the goal is "a solution that is user‑friendly, integrates well with existing district systems, and is reasonably priced for both the district and families." David Francel of the business office said the district will leverage prior vendor evaluations and compare SchoolPay to competitors, acknowledging consolidation in the vendor landscape.
Committee members focused on integration with Premier Edge, the district’s point‑of‑sale system for food service, because Premier Edge is used to report free and reduced‑price meal counts and other federally required food‑service reporting. Francel told the board that Premier Edge offers card acceptance for food service but charges a higher percentage than SchoolPay; any district payment option must account for reporting and integration constraints.
Board members asked who would be involved in vendor selection and whether parent‑facing systems already in use (ParentSquare, Skyward) or consortium purchasing could reduce complexity for families. The administration said technology and the business office will lead the initial review and will add stakeholders as the vendor list is narrowed; ParentSquare and Skyward will be included in the review if viable.
The committee discussed timelines and aims to identify at least two or three alternatives for comparative evaluation and to conclude the review process before the end of the school year. Administration noted some market consolidation (acquisitions by SchoolPay) and said the review will reflect current vendor availability.
No vendor was selected; administration will return with a narrowed list and recommended next steps for committee review.
