Every school district knows that change comes with risk. But so does standing still. When it comes to employee time tracking, district leaders are balancing both the risks of making a change and the risks of not making one. And when they rely on systems or processes that aren’t built for the realities of K-12, they run into practical risks every day.
The good news? You’re not alone. District leaders across the country have already faced these challenges and shared with us what they’ve learned along the way.
Vendor Support
Districts worry about being left hanging when technology issues arise. But with responsive, proactive support, the right partner reduces the risk.
“Touchpoint’s service department has been very receptive. They’ve always been helpful when working directly with our IT team or checking returned products.” – CFO, OH
“All we’ve pretty much been doing is letting them roll. If we have any issues, your team jumps on it and bangs it out building by building making sure everything works great.” – Network Systems Administrator, PA
Adoption Challenges
K-12 has a wide range of staff comfort with technology. The risk is rolling out something too complex.
“The thing is that the school district has all kinds of people in it... only a minority are really good at technology, so you have to make it as easy as possible if you want it to work.” – Director of Technology, TX
“With the SmartClocks they can just scan and go so the transition is really smooth... Some refuse to do anything with a computer but this clock is our loophole.” – Director of Technology, TX
Trust Gaps
Some time collection hardware systems over-promise and under-deliver, leaving IT teams to pick up the pieces.
“They’ve been working fantastic. From our previous experience, we expected that [the time clocks] were going to have problems all the time but they’ve been little rocks. They’re like rock stars.” – Director of Technology, TX
Device Reliability Doubts
DIY kiosks, Chromebooks, and mobile apps often break down at the worst times.
“Making our own kiosks would never be able to work here because of how challenging it would be to manage all the issues at all our locations... We have 50+ Touchpoint SmartClocks and I have not had a single one fail.” – Systems Analyst, SD
“For the graveyard shift, the mobile app doesn't work and has all kinds of complexities. I'm glad those employees can use a timeclock so that it does their time right.” - Payroll Coordinator, TX
Security Concerns
Badge-sharing and mobile loopholes without secure time clocks create vulnerabilities in employee accountability and payroll accuracy.
“Unfortunately, [using a] mobile app makes it easy for employees to buddy punch... they’re going to clock everyone in and out.” – Network Systems Administrator, PA
“We expect people to act like grownups, and they don’t. A lot of work ethics have changed.” – Business Manager, ME
Payroll Inaccuracy
Delays, manual fixes, and the resulting inaccurate time collection cost districts thousands in payroll overpayments.
“We have paid out an incredible amount of overtime this year. With the SmartClock, it’s a more accurate reflection of hours that people are actually working.” – Director of Technology, VA
Compliance Issues
Falling short on timekeeping can lead to lawsuits and penalties, nightmare scenarios for both HR and the Business Office.
“We have a responsibility to accurately pay people for their time... If people are abusing that, it becomes a problem... In California, it doesn’t take much for there to be a class action around fifth hour violations.” – Director of Personnel, CA
Wasted Investment
Without reliable hardware, software adoption stalls and staff revert to old, inaccurate processes.
“We have hourly staff... getting paid based on their contracts, not their time clock punches... There's really no way, aside from sitting there and watching the cameras all the time, to keep track of who's on shift." – Food Services Manager, OR
Falling Behind Peers
Districts that delay needed change risk losing talent, which is the last thing you need during a K-12 labor shortage.
“Our goal is to become a district that isn’t just getting the leftovers from places around us, but instead becoming a destination.” – HR Coordinator, LA
Downtime and Outages
Network hiccups or device failures can bring payroll to a halt.
“The SmartClocks are easy to configure on our network but also very safe and secure against vulnerabilities.” – Network Admin, KY
More Work for Supervisors
Manual corrections and missing timesheets consume hours.
“That is usually my big Monday project—looking for outstanding timesheets, why they’re outstanding, and who’s responsible.” – Business Manager, ME
"If we are not capturing employee work hours in a timely manner, it gets very complicated very quickly." – Director of Personnel, CA
Cross-Department Tension
When HR, payroll, and IT aren’t aligned with full visibility across the district, everyone feels it.
“Once the time period's over, supervisors tally up the time cards, then my secretary checks them, then a third person checks them again. Then we put it in Excel.” - Director of Operations, PA
“We've had assistant principals calling and letting us know... they actually saw someone else clocking in for someone, and the person wasn't there.” - Payroll Manager, TX
Employee Friction
Cumbersome systems frustrate staff and slow productivity.
“If you have 10 or 15 people that show up at the same time... at a DIY station they’re all standing in line, but the SmartClock makes it much easier and quicker.” – Director of Technology, VA
Yes, change has risks. But so does doing nothing. District leaders across the country have proven that with the right partner, change leads to fewer headaches, stronger compliance, and payroll processes they can finally trust.
Touchpoint exists to ensure school districts never have to face that season of change alone.