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].