The Student Data Verification Challenge: How Edsembli’s SIS Helps Schools Save Time and Secure Funding

Each September, school offices across the country brace for one of the most time-consuming administrative tasks of the year: verifying and updating student data. 

This process isn’t just about keeping records up to date, it’s directly tied to Ministry funding, emergency contacts, medical records, and other critical student data. If mistakes are made or updates are missed, it can cost school boards thousands in lost funding and create unnecessary risks for students who need up-to-date information on file. 

But in a busy school office, where secretaries are juggling a constant stream of urgent tasks, finding uninterrupted time to complete this process is nearly impossible. 

A Day in the Life of a School Secretary: The Data Verification Struggle 

Let’s take an example: 

Imagine an elementary school with 400 students and only one secretary. Every morning, the secretary is responsible for: 

• Answering phone calls, from parents calling in absences, staff needing assistance, and external inquiries. 

• Providing first aid, whether it’s a scraped knee from recess or a sick student in need of care. 

• Managing paperwork—report cards, attendance records, permission slips, and school communications. 

• Photocopying and distributing documents for teachers and administrators. 

• Handling visitors and security, greeting parents, managing deliveries, and ensuring school policies are followed. 

On top of all this, they are tasked with reviewing and updating 400 student verification forms. Each form takes an average of 5 minutes to process—2,000 minutes (or 33 hours) in total. 

Where do they find the time? 

• There’s no uninterrupted work time. Secretaries are constantly being pulled away for urgent matters. 

• It’s an October 31st deadline. This isn’t something that can be put off indefinitely—it must be completed in a small window. 

• Mistakes are costly. Errors in student records can directly impact funding and school operations. 

Now, scale this problem to a district with 22,000 students. That’s 1,833 hours of manual work; roughly three weeks of full-time effort across multiple staff members. 

And it’s all being done on paper, where forms can go missing, handwriting can be illegible, and updates can be forgotten. 

Why Accurate Data Matters: The Funding Implications 

Data verification isn’t just a routine admin task; it’s the foundation of accurate Ministry funding calculations. 

Here are several ways errors can cost a school board funding: 

• Entry Date into Canada: Many provinces provide additional funding for students who have been in Canada for four years or less. If a student’s record isn’t updated correctly, the school board loses that funding—potentially thousands of dollars per student. 

• Special Education Needs: If data isn’t verified accurately, schools may not receive the funding they need to provide support staff, resources, and accommodations for students with exceptional needs. 

• Student Enrollments & Transfers: The number of students officially enrolled at each school determines budget allocations. If students who have moved are not properly removed from records, or if new students are missing from reports, schools might receive less funding than they should. 

Every piece of data matters and relying on a paper-based system makes accuracy much harder to achieve. 

A Better Way: How Edsembli’s SIS Transforms Student Data Verification 

Edsembli’s Student Information System (SIS) eliminates the inefficiencies of traditional paper-based processes, allowing school boards to streamline data verification while ensuring accuracy and funding security. 

How It Works 

• Parents can securely update student information online from any device—no more lost, incomplete, or misplaced forms. Edsembli’s SIS uses encrypted, cloud-based storage and secure authentication, ensuring that sensitive student data remains protected and only accessible to authorized users. 

• Administrators can track submissions in real time, ensuring every student’s information is reviewed. 

• Secretaries save time by verifying and updating records digitally -, eliminating hours of manual entry. 

• Schools reduce errors, ensuring they receive the full funding they’re entitled to. 

• Data is securely stored and easily accessible, eliminating misplaced forms and privacy concerns. 

Instead of sending forms home, waiting for parents to return them, and manually entering the updates, schools can digitize the entire process, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring every student’s information is current. 

The Bottom Line 

For a district of 22,000 students, switching to a digital process results in significant savings, not just in time, but in real dollars. 

Paper savings: $0.074 per sheet × 22,000 students = $1,628 per year 
Labour savings: 5 minutes per form × 22,000 students × $30/hour = $55,000 per year 

Total estimated savings per year: $56,628 
Total estimated savings over 5 years: $283,140 

By eliminating paper waste and freeing up weeks of staff time, Edsembli’s SIS allows school secretaries to focus on the countless other responsibilities they manage daily. Schools get the funding they deserve, secretaries regain valuable time, and the entire district operates with greater efficiency. 

In today’s fast-paced school environments, efficiency isn’t optional; it’s essential. 

Want to see how it works for your district? Contact our team today to learn more.