At Katz Hillel Day School in Boca Raton, operational excellence isn’t optional; it’s foundational. Serving 725 students from pre-K through eighth grade, the school manages a complex academic and financial operation that demands systems built for scale.
“[Our] parent body expects excellence in both Judaic and secular education. Our families are sophisticated, invested, and serious about outcomes. So are we,” says Lev Stark, the school’s Executive Director and CFO.
Stark oversees the school’s financial and operational infrastructure, making him incredibly invested in finding the right software solution for the entire school community. When the decision was made to leave FACTS for another student information system (SIS) provider, it was driven by a question many schools ask from time-to-time: is the grass really greener with another provider?
A Switch That Revealed What Was Missing
The alternative platform the school chose initially looked appealing. But the reality of implementation quickly exposed tradeoffs.
While the new system delivered its promises on paper, it created unexpected operational friction. Staff who had been deeply familiar with FACTS had to relearn workflows that they did not believe needed replacing. Over time, that friction grew into a measurable burden.
“Our staff was already fluent in the depth and sophistication of FACTS. Moving away meant retraining an entire team on a system they did not feel they needed,” explains Stark. “While the alternative cost less upfront, it cost us far more operationally. We were constantly creating internal workarounds, answering avoidable questions, and compensating for features that simply were not there.”
After a year, the negative effects of switching from FACTS become too much to ignore. “When your teachers tell you the system is slowing them down instead of supporting them, that matters,” says Stark.
Returning to a System Built for Depth
Katz Hillel’s decision to return to FACTS was not a difficult one, Stark explains. “It was decisive. The response was immediate. Relief. Energy. Productivity. It felt like we were back in the game, firing on all cylinders.”
While the school never ceased using FACTS’ financial solutions, the switch back to FACTS SIS immediately brought visible improvements across daily academic operations. “Gradebook, reporting, attendance tracking, and parent communication all became seamless again,” states Stark.
In fact, Stark says the overall teacher response “could not have been more positive.” Teacher satisfaction and morale improved as they returned to tools with the depth and functionality they craved and, unsurprisingly, no one has mentioned missing anything from the previous provider.
Strength Beyond the Classroom
Teachers weren’t the only members of the Katz Hillel community that appreciated the switch back to FACTS. Stark explains that one of the biggest positive changes has been the reduction in internal IT burden. With the previous provider, the school’s IT team was constantly burdened with internal troubleshooting and creating workarounds. With FACTS, those troubles disappeared, which translates into real time savings and reduced support costs.
Principals also reaped the benefits of the switch, with Katz citing oversight as another meaningful improvement. “Our principals regained the ability to effectively supervise and support their teachers in a way that simply was not available in the other system,” he says. “FACTS provides visibility that allows our senior leadership team to coach, guide, and intervene when needed.”
Families are also on the list of those positively affected. With FACTS, communication is “significantly better and easier,” says Stark, furthering explaining the direct correlation between improved family/school communication and quality of education. “When you improve communication between teachers and parents, you improve the quality of education. Teachers can partner with families more efficiently and more consistently. That has a direct impact on student outcomes.”
The result? Stronger alignment, higher morale, and a more cohesive academic environment.
A Partnership, Not Just a Vendor
Beyond product functionality, Stark emphasizes the strength of FACTS’ support model, particularly for a school operating at scale. He describes Katz Hillel’s experience with FACTS as more of a partnership than a vendor relationship. “We’re not looking for handholding. We’re looking for capable partners. FACTS has delivered that,” he states.
While the school has come to rely on the dedicated financial representatives who understand their operation, they also experienced “remarkable” customer service when re-onboarding the SIS. Stark describes the competence level of the support team as high, citing the value of working with professionals who understand schools, as well as the connection between the SIS and FACTS’ financial solutions.
He points to the depth of expertise and support team infrastructure as another key differentiator. “With FACTS, there is infrastructure behind the relationship. There are multiple experts we can access. We are not dependent on a small, bottlenecked team. That creates predictability and confidence.”
Confidence You Can Lead With
For Katz Hillel, the decision ultimately came down to confidence: in the system, in the support, and in the long-term stability of their operations. It’s not just about functionality. It’s about knowing the ecosystem behind your teachers, families, and leaders will perform as expected.
“FACTS brings real muscle to our operations. It is steady, it is deep, and the people behind it know what they are doing,” Stark says. “Surprises are great for birthdays, but not for running schools.”
For a leadership team focused on sustainability, predictability isn’t boring; it’s powerful. And for Katz Hillel, returning to FACTS didn’t just solve a problem. It strengthened the foundation for the school’s future.
Key Takeaways: What Changed When Katz Hillel Day School Returned to FACTS
- Reduced internal support burden and associated costs
- Meaningful time savings for IT and administrative teams
- Improved teacher morale and daily productivity
- Stronger, more consistent parent communication
- Renewed instructional oversight for school leadership
- Restored depth in gradebook, reporting, and attendance tracking
