- Massac Unit School District – Metropolis, IL
- Grades Served: PK-12
- Students: 1800+
Challenge Overview: As their legacy SIS approached end-of-life, Massac Unit #1 set out to find a modern, intuitive platform that could better serve both internal staff and families. Key requirements included stronger communication tools, smoother integration with existing systems, and a significantly improved parent and student portal experience—especially around grades and attendance.
Solution Overview: Massac selected Alma to help modernize its tech stack and address communication gaps head-on. Alma’s user-friendly interface, integrated messaging tools, and seamless online registration options gave the district a smarter, more scalable solution across all seven school buildings.
Results Overview: Alma transformed Massac’s ability to communicate with families, digitize core processes like report cards and registration, and reduce paperwork and staff hours. With over 80% of returning families now using Alma Start for re-registration, and grade and attendance data now easily accessible via the portals, the district has created a more connected, efficient experience for everyone involved.
“We needed a new SIS that would be readily accessible and intuitive – not just for school staff, but for parents and students, too.”
– Tom Walker, Director of Technology
THE CHALLENGE
Massac Unit #1 serves over 1,800 students across PK–12 in seven buildings throughout the district. The district provides its own special education services and is committed to delivering full-service, high-quality education to all students.
As their former SIS aged out, Massac needed more than just a technical replacement—it needed a system that could improve the way staff and families connect. The old platform’s parent interface was difficult to navigate and created ongoing friction around access to grades and attendance information. Communication gaps were frequent, and the district wanted a better way to unify messaging, attendance alerts, and academic reporting.
THE SOLUTION
Alma brought immediate improvements to Massac’s day-to-day operations—especially in the areas of communication and paperwork reduction.
- Integrated Messaging: Alma now allows Massac to quickly contact parents regarding unreported absences and attendance concerns.
- Automated Alerts: Outreach can be sent simultaneously to multiple parents without relying on separate robocall systems or one-by-one phone calls.
- Online Registration: Using Alma Start, over 80% of families re-register students online—saving time for both parents and school staff.
- Digitized Reporting: Report cards and midterm reports are now published digitally via the parent and student portals, eliminating the need to print thousands of pages.
“Alma has effectively streamlined this process,” Tom shared. “We no longer have to make individual phone calls or rely on separate calling systems. It’s all right there.”
THE RESULTS
With Alma, Massac Unit #1 now operates with greater efficiency, clarity, and family engagement across the district.
- 📌 Parent and student access to grades, attendance, and reports is now fast and intuitive.
- 📌 Paper use has been drastically reduced thanks to digitized reports.
- 📌 Annual re-registration has been streamlined, with most returning students registering online through Alma Start.
- 📌 Time spent on manual outreach has been cut significantly through automated messaging.
“Alma has allowed us to digitize report cards and midterm reports… Most are now readily available in the portals.”
