Case Study: Rapid City Area Schools achieves greater efficiency and unified district operations with Skyward

Rapid City Area Schools runs 23 schools with Skyward and 3 support staff

Rapid City Area Schools, a district serving over 13,000 students, faced a challenge when the state of South Dakota offered them a free, state-sponsored student information system. Despite the potential cost savings, the district needed a comprehensive solution that could manage all its operations, not just student data. They chose to stick with their existing vendor, Skyward, and its integrated Student Management Suite and School Business Suite.

Skyward provided a unified database that streamlined all district operations, from grades and attendance to HR and accounting. This solution allowed Rapid City Area Schools to operate with significantly fewer administrative employees than other districts, estimating they needed only three people to manage what takes others five to six systems and dedicated staff. The results included increased efficiency, granular data reporting for informed decision-making, and a lower total cost of ownership despite the state's free alternative.

Rapid City Area Schools