Creating a Tech-Forward Culture: How One IT Leader is Revolutionizing Greeneville City Schools

Greeneville City Schools, a forward-thinking district in Tennessee, has built a reputation for its innovative use of technology and commitment to excellence and equity in education. Under the leadership of Beverly Miller, the former Assistant Director of Schools, the district embraced digital transformation to meet the evolving needs of students, staff, and the community.

Read on to explore the challenges Greeneville City Schools faced in managing records, how Parchment provided the ideal solution, and the transformative outcomes of its implementation.

Record Management Challenges in Greeneville City Schools

Miller highlighted that Greeneville City Schools, guided by its mission “to cultivate the mind and impact the heart through excellence and equity,” faced several challenges with record management. First, file cabinets overflowing with student transcripts and cumulative folders took up valuable space and were vulnerable to damage from fires or floods — putting essential documents at risk.

Plus, retrieving and sharing records was a slow, manual process that involved digging through files, photocopying, and faxing. This only drained staff time and delayed responses. Data security was another growing concern, as their outdated system couldn’t adequately protect sensitive student information from potential breaches.

This highlighted the need for a digital transformation to simplify record management and improve accessibility, security, and efficiency for learners and education leaders alike.

Embracing Digital Transformation for Efficient Record Management

In 2016, Miller set out to address the district’s record management challenges, explaining that “It’s essential to seek out opportunities for growth and embrace new solutions — whether from colleagues or other sources — to replicate them in our district for our students.”

Fortunately, she found the perfect fit in Parchment. The K-12 Document Management system offered a secure way to digitize and store student records, eliminating the risk of physical damage and making documents easy to access.

The Parchment K-12 Transfer solution streamlined the process of sharing records with employers, colleges, and government agencies through a secure online portal — addressing data privacy concerns along the way. Digitizing student cumulative folders also lightened staff workloads and ensured records were always accessible when needed.

With its simple interface, strong focus on data security, and comprehensive tools, Parchment became the clear choice to meet the district’s needs.

Collaborating for Successful Digital Transformation

Greeneville City Schools partnered with Parchment to ensure a seamless transition from manual to digital systems. The process began with staff training, equipping team members to navigate the platform and understand its capabilities. Miller highlighted the importance of “having internal conversations with all leaders in the organization and ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding data management and protection.”

There was also significant effort devoted to digitizing historical records, involving meticulous scanning and secure uploading of decades of student files. Miller explained, “With our records being digitized… it’s become very easy for us to provide [records] quickly.” This is an improvement from their process before Parchment, as the team “would’ve had to probably go to filing cabinets, send a fax, or make a copy,” she added.

To encourage community adoption, the district launched an outreach campaign highlighting benefits like faster service and improved security to stakeholders, including alumni and employers. Parchment provided ongoing support throughout the process, resolving technical issues and ensuring the platform aligned with district needs.

Miller praised the collaboration as key to the successful transition, noting that “Now we can let employers or government agencies interact through an online portal and request records on demand.”

Unlocking Efficiency and Security With Parchment

The adoption of Parchment’s solutions revolutionized operations at Greeneville City Schools, delivering measurable improvements across the board. Digitizing records eliminated time-consuming manual processes, enabling requests to be completed in minutes instead of days. Miler highlighted, “Parchment is a beautiful thing because we can now, very quickly and easily, transfer student files without any paper or faxing.”

As a result of streamlining student record management and transfer, Miller pointed out that Parchment “has also helped improve the overall security and privacy of that information.” The secure platform not only protects student data but also ensures privacy compliance, earning greater trust from stakeholders. Plus, Parchment allowed the district to generate steady revenue from transcript and record requests, helping to fund educational programs.

Ultimately, learners, alumni, employers, and government agencies gained fast, reliable access to records — boosting the district’s reputation for professionalism and efficiency. And through digitization, enhanced security, and revenue generation with Parchment, Greeneville City Schools achieved transformative results that align with its mission of cultivating minds and impacting hearts.

There’s always more to learn.