Many school districts try to save money by creating their own employee time tracking stations using Chromebooks, iPads, laptops, and off-the-shelf accessories like barcode scanners. On the surface, this do-it-yourself approach looks practical and cost-effective. But in reality, DIY time collection can create major problems for IT departments, payroll teams, and the hourly employees who rely on it.

If your district is considering or currently using a self-built time collection setup, here are the most common concerns to be aware of.

Whether you’re using time tracking software, time clocks, or still juggling paper timesheets, now’s the time to button things up, finalize one-time discretionary spending before budgets expire, and prepare for the new year.

1. Chromebooks Are Losing Kiosk Support

As of July 2025, Google will no longer support user-installed Chrome Apps on ChromeOS. By July 2026, Chrome Apps will stop working in kiosk mode, and all Chrome App support ends entirely by October 2028 (source).

For years, Chromebooks have been a cheap, easy option for DIY time collection. But now, for districts using Chromebooks to run their time and attendance software in kiosk mode, this Google deprecation presents a serious issue. DIY time clock stations built on Chrome Apps will simply stop working. To continue using a Chromebook with a web-based time tracking software, the only option will be to run it in full screen mode and hope that users don’t hit the Escape key or close the browser. That risk is huge, so it means a scramble to find replacement hardware, software configurations, and device policies that can keep time collection running smoothly.

2. Mobile Time Tracking Has Built-In Limitations

Some districts rely on time tracking apps that run on personal smartphones or tablets. While this setup can work in low-volume environments, it creates new challenges for larger or more complex schools, and for less tech-savvy employees.

Employees forget passwords and PINs. Apps take too many taps. Teams can share logins for buddy punching. Staff dislike using personal phones for work or worry about privacy when location tracking is involved. And spotty Wi-Fi in buildings can cause failed punches or syncing issues. Mobile time tracking apps are great, but should not be a district’s primary method of time collection if time and payroll accuracy is a priority.

We broke down the most common shortfalls of mobile-only time tracking in this blog post.

3. DIY Setups Require Constant IT Attention

When your time collection setup involves consumer devices like barcode scanners purchased on Amazon, budget tablets (even iPads), or repurposed school laptops, someone has to keep it all running. And that someone is usually your already-overtaxed IT team.

Too many school districts don’t think about the cost of DIY setups beyond the initial purchase. Every school year brings firmware updates, OS changes, syncing issues, and physical wear and tear. When a scanner breaks or a browser app fails to load properly, the IT department becomes the front-line help desk for time clocks across every building in the district. This takes time and resources away from more strategic or instructional technology needs.

4. Consumer Devices Aren’t Built for Clock-In Congestion

Most hourly employees arrive and leave at the same time. This leads to clusters of staff trying to clock in or out simultaneously, which creates bottlenecks. Tablets, budget laptops, and mobile apps used in DIY setups often can’t handle the load. Devices freeze, apps lag, and staff get frustrated.

These congestion points reduce productivity, decrease employee morale, and increase the likelihood of missed or rushed punches. And those missed punches increase the risk of incomplete or incorrect time records, which in turn result in payroll inaccuracy.

5. TikTok Trends and Device Misuse Put DIY Clocks at Risk

Schools across the country are seeing Chromebooks damaged or bricked by TikTok trends that encourage students to disable system components or vandalize school devices (source). If your district is using Chromebooks for time tracking, these devices may be exposed to unintended (and potentially dangerous) misuse.

Dedicated time collection hardware is much less likely to be repurposed, tampered with, or casually unplugged. DIY devices used for multiple tasks often aren’t locked down enough to prevent user interference.

6. Lack of Support, Accountability, and Uptime Guarantees

DIY solutions rarely come with service-level agreements (SLAs) or guaranteed uptime. When something breaks, there's no dedicated support channel to call. Your district (specifically, your IT department) carries the full burden of troubleshooting, maintaining, and replacing equipment.

If time tracking breaks down, payroll doesn’t wait. Neither do staff expectations. A solution you have to support yourself puts your team at risk of system failure at the worst possible time.

A Smarter Alternative to DIY Clocks

Touchpoint SmartClocks are purpose-built for K-12 time tracking. They’re always on, secured for dedicated use, and supported by our expert, U.S.-based team. Districts no longer need to patch together consumer devices or rely on temporary workarounds.

Instead, you get fast, secure, and reliable time collection that just works — without pulling your IT team off higher priorities. And with the introduction of our SmartClock Lite Mini, a dedicated, reliable, fully-supported time clock is now just as affordable as DIY setups.

If your district is considering how to future-proof your time collection process, let’s talk.

👉 Contact us for a quick walkthrough or a comparison of SmartClocks vs. DIY setups.

Set up your district for reliable, long-term payroll accuracy and savings.

It’s about time.