How Parchment K-12 District Transfer Transformed Columbus City Schools

When Columbus City Schools (CCS) faced challenges with outdated and inconsistent student record management, they turned to Parchment K-12 District Transfer to create a unified, efficient system. This shift didn’t just streamline operations — it also boosted security, ensured compliance with Ohio’s strict state regulations, and made records more accessible.

Tonya Freeman and Bonny Durr from Columbus City Schools shared how this transformative solution eliminated redundancies and empowered staff to focus on higher-impact tasks — benefiting students and the broader educational community.

Overcoming Scattered Systems and Mounting Costs

As Ohio’s largest school district, Columbus City Schools serves over 46,000 students across 113 schools, making student record management a daunting challenge.

“Before the implementation of Parchment K-12 District Transfer, secretaries in our district handled record requests in several ways, including fax, email, driving back and forth, U.S. Mail, and UPS or FedEx,” explains Durr. These outdated, inconsistent methods caused delays and inefficiencies, making it difficult to provide timely and accurate record services.

Adding to the complexity, each school had its own approach to managing records. “It quickly became obvious that everybody was keeping the documents required by law,” says Tonya Freeman. “But, everyone was doing it a little bit differently.” This lack of standardization led to confusion, delays, and potential compliance risks.

The financial strain was another issue. Postage fees, printing costs, and countless staff hours devoted to handling requests added up — putting a significant burden on the district’s resources.

A Solution for Modernizing Record Management

Recognizing the need for a more efficient and secure system, CCS set out to modernize its student record management. The district began by digitizing alumni records to reduce dependence on physical documents, but the increasing volume of requests from current students and external organizations required a more comprehensive solution.

CCS sought a platform to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and save time and money. Parchment K-12 Transfer stood out as the ideal choice with its secure digital transfer capabilities, robust features, and user-friendly design.

Freeman also recalls the proactive implementation approach: “Parchment trained our secretaries, and I emailed all of our surrounding districts and told them we were going to be implementing a digital transfer process using the Parchment platform.” To ensure a smooth transition, she adds, “We took a hard-line approach where we would not accept any more record requests via fax or any other way, except through the digital Parchment process.”

The Journey to Digital Recordkeeping With Parchment

For a seamless implementation process, the Parchment team provided comprehensive training sessions for high school secretaries and other staff — equipping them to use the system effectively. These sessions not only covered the mechanics of digital transfers but also emphasized compliance and data security.

Parchment also simplified onboarding for other districts. “Parchment handles the entire verification process. It’s very secure once [schools] create their account. And it’s very easy to do,” Freeman adds. The team further tailored the system to meet CCS’s specific needs, such as creating a downloadable PDF feature for withdrawal requests, enabling staff to quickly and securely access vital documents. Custom reporting tools were also developed, allowing CCS to track transfers in real-time and gain insights into trends and performance metrics.

By the target implementation date, CCS had fully transitioned to Parchment’s digital system — where faxed and mailed requests were replaced by secure digital transfers.

Savings, Compliance, and Productivity in Columbus City Schools

The adoption of Parchment K-12 District Transfer has revolutionized operations at CCS, bringing significant cost savings, productivity gains, and improved compliance. Freeman shares, “The switch also saved us over $16,000 in postage, plus maybe $12,000 in printing and copying fees. There was also a significant increase in employee productivity, along with no more lost records or duplicate requests.”

With the platform, staff no longer spend hours on manual record management, allowing them to focus on higher-priority tasks. Compliance with Ohio’s three-business-day response requirement is now seamless. “Digital transfer through Parchment is an efficient method for tracking compliance with that law,” Freeman notes. Real-time transfer reports also provide valuable operational insights.

Freeman highlights the importance of consistency in record management with Parchment: “Everyone is doing it the same way, so that’s easy to keep up with — and definitely the improvement in professional development.” She adds, “Because we can see every transaction in the logs, we can easily identify which staff member made which request and counsel or retrain as needed, which is a time saver.”

This uniform process and focus on professional development have enabled CCS to save time and money while delivering better service to students, families, and staff.

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