Skip to main content

Success Story

Missoula County Public Schools

Q&A with Ray Schurman, Information Support Specialist

  • Missoula County Public Schools
  • Missoula, MT
  • 9,574 Students

Q&A with Ray Schurman, Information Support Specialist

Why did your district select Infinite Campus?

Missoula County Public Schools made a wise decision to choose Infinite Campus as their Student Information System (SIS) provider. The selection was based on several factors, including the state of Montana’s use of Infinite Campus, cost, and the product’s comprehensive functionality.

The fact that the state of Montana uses Infinite Campus was a significant factor in Missoula County Public Schools’ decision. This eliminates the need to export data from another SIS and then import it into Infinite Campus for state reporting purposes. This streamlines processes and saves time, effort, and resources that could be better used in other areas.

The cost of any SIS is a significant concern for school districts. However, Infinite Campus provided the necessary features within the budgets that the school district had to work with. Though no SIS is "cheap," it is vital to choose a system that can deliver the necessary features without breaking the bank.

Finally, Infinite Campus is an all-in-one product that tracks everything related to students. This comprehensive functionality includes everything from grades and attendance to health records and disciplinary actions. This will help Missoula County Public Schools manage student information more effectively and make more informed decisions regarding student outcomes.

Overall, Missoula County Public Schools’ decision to select Infinite Campus as their SIS provider was a smart one. The system’s integration with the state of Montana, cost-effectiveness, and comprehensive functionality makes it an excellent choice for any school district looking for a reliable SIS provider.

"The cost of any SIS is a significant concern for school districts. However, Infinite Campus provided the necessary features within the budgets that the school district had to work with. Though no SIS is 'cheap,' it is vital to choose a system that can deliver the necessary features without breaking the bank."

Ray Schurman, Information Support Specialist

What challenges were you facing before using Infinite Campus SIS?

  1. Data extraction from the prior, aging SIS software into Infinite Campus.
    Moving data from the old system to a new one can be a challenging task. There may be data incompatibility issues that need to be addressed, and the process may be time-consuming and require significant effort from staff.

  2. “Custom” workarounds that were made to the old SIS were no longer needed.
    Over time, staff may have created workarounds to address issues that the old system could not handle. With the implementation of Infinite Campus, these workarounds may no longer be necessary.

  3. Data integrity was less than par.
    If the data in the old system was not properly maintained or verified, it may have resulted in data integrity issues. These issues can carry over to the new system, which may require staff to spend time cleaning up data before it can be imported into Infinite Campus.

How has Campus SIS improved your day-to-day?

Here’s a list of day-to-day improvements that Infinite Campus has brought to Missoula County Public Schools:

  • Streamlining attendance: Teachers and administrators can easily track and manage student attendance, reducing the time and effort required to take attendance manually.

  • Simplifying food service: Campus Food Service allows districts to manage their food service programs more efficiently, including tracking meal counts, managing menus, and processing payments.

  • Managing classroom activities: Infinite Campus provides tools for teachers and administrators to manage their classrooms more effectively, including grading, assignment management, and communication with students and parents.

  • Improving communication: Districts can communicate more effectively with parents, students, and staff through the platform’s messaging and notification features.

  • Reporting on student and district performance: Infinite Campus provides a wide range of reporting capabilities that allow districts to track and analyze student and district performance across a variety of areas, including academic performance, and student demographics.

  • Overall, Infinite Campus provides a comprehensive solution that helps Missoula County Public Schools’ staff manage their day-to-day operations more efficiently and effectively.

How have you benefited from using Campus SIS?

Missoula County Public Schools has only been using Infinite Campus for two years, but in that time, the school has already seen significant benefits. The product has helped the school improve workflows, data accuracy and integrity, and student outcomes.

Infinite Campus provides a comprehensive solution that has helped Missoula County Public Schools streamline processes, automate tasks, and improve communication between parents, students, and teachers. This has resulted in improved student outcomes, as teachers are better equipped to identify and support students who need extra help.

As the state reporting requirements continue to evolve, Infinite Campus is also helping Missoula County Public Schools keep up-to-date and stay compliant with the necessary reporting requirements. The product’s features and functionality make it easier for us to collect, store, and report the data required by the state, while also ensuring the data is accurate and reliable.

Although Missoula County Public Schools is still learning how to use advanced features in Infinite Campus, the district is already finding more ways to improve workflows and enhance data accuracy and integrity. As the district continues to use the product and become more familiar with its features, it is likely that Missoula County Public Schools will see even more benefits in the years to come.

"As the district continues to use the product and become more familiar with its features, it is likely that Missoula County Public Schools will see even more benefits in the years to come."

Ray Schurman, Information Support Specialist

What are your favorite tools or features in Campus SIS?

  • Online Registration

    The ability to manage student registrations online has been a game changer for many Missoula County Public Schools. Campus Online Registration streamlines the registration process, reduces paperwork, and saves time and effort for both parents and district staff.

  • SSRS Reporting

    This is a reporting tool in Infinite Campus that allows districts to create custom reports and analyze data in real-time. It provides a wide range of reporting options and customization capabilities.

  • Ad Hoc Reporting

    The Ad Hoc reporting tool provides powerful reporting capabilities, allowing our staff to create custom reports and analyze data in real-time. This helps our district identify trends, track progress, and make data-driven decisions.

  • Classroom Tools

    The suite of classroom tools in Infinite Campus, including Grade Book, Attendance, and Planner, help teachers manage their classrooms more efficiently and effectively. The Grade Book allows teachers to manage student grades and assignments, Attendance allows teachers to take attendance quickly and accurately, and Planner helps teachers plan lessons and assignments.

  • State Reporting

    Infinite Campus has the ability to add and update reports specific to the state, which makes it easy for districts to stay compliant with state reporting requirements.

  • Campus Payments

    We will hopefully have this soon! This tool will allow us to manage student payments online. This will be a convenient tool for both parents and district staff and will further streamline day-to-day operations.

How responsive have we been to your questions or concerns?

Infinite Campus stands out from other SIS companies we have collaborated with in terms of resolving problems within a commendable turnaround time. Simple issues are typically addressed within 24 to 48 hours, while development-related tasks understandably require more time to be resolved.

What would you tell other schools/districts about Infinite Campus?

Inquiries from school districts considering the adoption of the Infinite Campus SIS would prompt us to ask: “What are you waiting for?!”

Infinite Campus is an outstanding product that can streamline workflows, saving valuable time and resources. While it may not handle every single duty imaginable, it is continually evolving and seamlessly integrates with many other systems, allowing student information to be tracked in a single system rather than many. Despite encountering some challenges during our implementation due to imperfect data and the need to adjust our district’s operations, we have been impressed with Infinite Campus as a company and wholeheartedly recommend them to both small and large districts seeking a new SIS!