Academy of Las Animas Online serves students across Colorado in grades 6–12, offering a flexible multi-district online program with optional drop-in zones for students who prefer in-person support. For a school built around flexibility, the systems behind enrollment, reporting, and student data management need to be just as adaptable.

Before Alma, that work was harder than it needed to be.

“We used PowerSchool, and trying to run reports from that SIS was a little difficult,” said Michele Aragon, Registrar at Academy of Las Animas Online.

The school needed a more user-friendly student information system, especially when it came to running school-level reports and managing enrollment workflows. Alma stood out not only for its reporting tools, but for the flexibility of Alma Start.

“What stood out for me was the spreadsheet data editor,” Michele said. “I use that tool on a daily basis. It makes my job a lot easier than the previous SIS that we used.”

A more flexible way to manage enrollment

For Academy of Las Animas Online, enrollment is not a simple one-size-fits-all process. The school serves students across the state, manages online applications, and needs the ability to adapt forms and workflows as needs change.

With Alma Start, Michele gained a tool that could keep up.

“Alma Start has made it a lot easier for me to manage my enrollments,” she said. “Alma is a very flexible tool that allows me to make any changes that I need to my processes in real time.”

That flexibility has become one of the biggest day-to-day advantages. Instead of waiting on a rigid system or working around limitations, Michele can update the online application, adjust enrollment forms, and make changes as needed.

“I just love the flexibility that it has to offer when updating my online application, and making any on-the-spot changes that I may need,” she said.

Support that made setup easier

Academy of Las Animas Online also chose Alma Start Concierge, giving the school a more hands-on level of support during setup and beyond. For Michele, that partnership made the process feel easier, clearer, and more comfortable.

“Our Alma team was so very helpful in getting that option set up for our school,” Michele said. “Very knowledgeable and went above and beyond in helping me get that set up for our school.”

That support did not stop after launch. Michele continues to collaborate with her Alma team when questions come up around forms, processes, and application setup.

“The Alma team still helps me to this day with any questions or concerns that I may have when it comes to forms, process, and setting up my application,” she said. “The whole Alma Start process was very easy and comfortable.”

For a busy registrar managing enrollment across a statewide online program, that kind of partnership matters. Alma Start gave the school flexibility, but Alma’s support helped make that flexibility usable from the beginning.

Easier reporting, smoother daily work

While Alma Start became central to Michele’s enrollment work, the broader Alma experience also helped improve day-to-day operations. Staff responded well to the system, especially the reporting tools available to them.

“I know that a lot of our staff are responding well to using Alma,” Michele said. “I know that they especially like the different reports they are able to run.”

For Michele, the impact is direct and practical. Alma Start is now part of her daily workflow, helping her manage new student applications and enrollments with less friction.

“I use Alma Start on a daily basis,” she said. “I know that it has made my job a whole lot easier to manage new student applications and enrollments.”

The improvements also extend to state reporting. By making enrollment and form management easier to manage, Alma Start has helped reduce errors and save time.

“Alma Start has saved me time on managing my enrollments and enrollment forms,” Michele said. “It does help cut down on the errors for state reporting.”

What it added up to

For Academy of Las Animas Online, Alma Start delivered the flexibility the school needed for a dynamic enrollment process, with the support to make that flexibility work in practice.

Michele can manage applications, update forms, adjust processes in real time, and support enrollment across a statewide online program with greater ease. Staff have access to stronger reporting tools, and the school has a system that better supports the way it actually operates.

As Michele heads into her second year using Alma Start, she is still finding new ways to take advantage of what the tool can do.

“I am still learning Alma Start,” she said, “but I am looking forward to using this school year for my second year now.”

For other small or independent schools considering Alma Start, her advice is simple:

“Take a look at all the benefits it has to offer and how easy it is to manage.”

For Academy of Las Animas Online, that ease of management is the real story: a more flexible enrollment process, a more confident registrar, and a system that helps the school keep moving as quickly as student needs change.