Minnesota School District Implements System for Making Secure Online Payments -- THE Journal

Administrative and Business

Minnesota School District Implements System for Making Secure Online Payments

By Sharleen Nelson
06/05/13

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota has eliminated its paper-based payment system and switched to a financial management structure to handle all school-related fees online.

Using Minnesota-based educational software developer and joint district-owned cooperative TIES, FeePay was integrated into the district's existing student and finance systems. In partnership with Arux and BankCard Services, the FeePay comprehensive fee management system provides a one-stop payment portal in a centralized location.

Similar to online shopping sites, parents or community members can use a single login to access their FeePay account and use the shopping cart format to complete secure transactions for registration, school lunches, field trips, sports events, library fines, community education, tickets, child care, transportation services, and other school functions and activities.

Before implementing the new system this year, parents paid school fees either by cash or check, and were required to fill out and hand-return hard-copy forms. The transition is designed to make it more convenient and reliable for parents to make payments and help improve district-wide tracking of revenue, reducing the possible loss or theft of money.

"We had this vision of a comprehensive fee management system that would encompass all the different areas that generate revenue and require registration in the district," said Jeff Solomon, director of finance and operations at Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools, in a prepared statement. "TIES fulfilled our vision with the FeePay Comprehensive Management System."

Minnesota's fourth largest school district, Rosemount‐Apple Valley‐Eagan Public Schools, also known as Independent School District 196, is a K-12 school district located south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The 110-square-mile district incorporates seven cities and two townships. More than 27,000 students are enrolled in the district's 18 elementary schools, six middle schools, and four high schools. The district operates on an annual budget of approximately $323 million.

For more information about TIES, visit ties.k12.mn.us.

About the Author

Sharleen Nelson is a freelance journalist based in Springfield, Oregon. She can be reached at [email protected].

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Partnership Brings AI Teaching Assistant to SchoolsPLP Course Library

SchoolsPLP, a provider of PreK-12 digital curriculum and learning solutions, has partnered with Agilix Labs to integrate the latter's BusyBee AI teaching assistant into its K-12 course library.
Department of Education Changes the Rules for ESSER Reimbursement

The United States Department of Education has announced a change to its policies around Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.
OpenAI to Consolidate AI Models with GPT-5 Launch

OpenAI has canceled plans to release its o3 model, opting instead for a "simplified" product lineup centered on its upcoming GPT-5 product.
3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.