From Silos to Synergy: How Vanguard Unified Its School Data With FACTS

Behind every thriving school is a system that keeps everything (and everyone) connected. When data, communication, and finances are connected through one reliable system, leaders can make more informed decisions, teachers save time, and families have a smoother experience.

Vanguard College Preparatory School, an independent, non-parochial school in Waco, Texas, has seen that firsthand. For more than a decade, the school has used nearly the full FACTS suite, including FACTS Student Information System, Application & Enrollment, Payment Plans, and Financial Aid Management to bring all its data under one roof.

We spoke with Associate Head of School Zach Seifert to learn how this connected approach streamlines operations, empowers data-driven decisions, and gives staff more time to focus on their students.

Before implementing FACTS, Vanguard’s data and processes were spread across multiple disconnected tools. Teachers and staff spent hours managing spreadsheets, tracking payments, and searching for information that lived in different systems. The lack of integration made it hard to see a full picture of any student or family.

“[Data] was scattered across all sorts of different systems,” Seifert notes. “It was hard to get a complete picture without pulling information from several places.” These inefficiencies were more than an inconvenience; they were an obstacle to serving their mission. Vanguard needed a system that would unify their data, improve accuracy, and simplify processes for both staff and families.

When evaluating new solutions, Seifert and his team were clear on what mattered most – integration, reliability, and support. They also needed a partner they could trust. FACTS, explains Seifert, “met all those expectations and beyond.”

FACTS makes it easy to unify every school function. For Vanguard, the choice to move to FACTS was straightforward, and the results came quickly. “The ability to just have everything in one place is what made that decision to go to FACTS the easiest one for us,” Seifert says. “As an admin, the ability to just click a button and see any area of the school has been extremely helpful.”

Implementation was a smooth process that reflected FACTS’ commitment to partnership. “The onboarding process was smooth and well supported,” he recalls. “The FACTS team guided us step-by-step, and they also listened to our needs. It wasn’t cookie-cutter. They customized it to meet where we wanted to be.”

That personalized approach helped the school see immediate improvements, with Seifert explaining they knew they had made the right choice when their first admissions cycle ran seamlessly, with both families and internal school stakeholders complimenting staff on how much simpler and smoother the process was.

With the right foundation in place, Vanguard could now see the full impact of having one connected system, starting with the classroom.

For teachers and administrators, FACTS Student Information System (SIS) has become the center of daily life.

“It’s simplified many of our daily operations across the board,” Seifert points out. “Teachers can take attendance, post grades, and communicate with families all in one place.” The impact on efficiency was immediate, taking tedious tasks like report cards from a week of manual entry to the click of a button. “It’s been a major step forward in both efficiency and effectiveness for our school,” he states.

For someone like Seifert with a background in science, FACTS has played a huge role in his data-minded approach to leadership. “It also allows us to spot trends early and make informed decisions quickly,” he explains, helping his team gain real-time insights into important student performance trends that shape their grading scales.

That same quick access to information supports staff and families daily. Seifert mentions that both teachers and families will often ask him questions and are shocked by how quickly he is able to pull the information. When they ask how he does it, he simply tells them, “It’s FACTS.”

The same integrated data accessed through FACTS systems that improved classroom operations also reshaped Vanguard’s admissions process.

“Before making the switch to FACTS, we had lots of paper forms, emails, and spreadsheets,” Seifert recalls. “It was really hard to track where families were in the process of application or admissions. Now it’s all online, it’s organized, and families can apply easily. It makes the process smoother and more personal. Families love how easy it is to apply and track their progress.”

The Vanguard team is equally as happy with the hours of valuable time FACTS has allowed them to reclaim. “We’ve cut processing time nearly in half and improved our communication through the automated reminders and updates,” explains Seifert. The best part? They’ve seen measurable improvements, including more complete applications, quicker enrollment, and stronger overall engagement.

That same level of efficiency gained from FACTS solutions extends to Vanguard’s financial operations, where automation has replaced manual effort and improved transparency. Seifert states that the automation throughout FACTS financial solutions has made tuition management so much easier for both families and staff. That streamlined process has contributed to a 98.7% collection rate, with the business office saving many hours every week, greatly reducing errors and eliminating confusion for families.

Using FACTS Payment Plans, Financial Aid Management, and Incidental Billing and Prepay has also given Vanguard better visibility into budgeting and forecasting. “With financial data integrated across the whole system, it’s allowed us to have real-time visibility into tuition, aid, and collection,” Seifert says. “It’s really beneficial for our budgeting and forecasting and allows us to be more accurate and proactive. It also strengthens that ability to communicate with the family because we can address questions with clarity and transparency.”

Together, these improvements gave Vanguard more than just cleaner books. They gave the entire school time and confidence to focus on what truly matters.

Although using FACTS solutions enables Vanguard to turn data-driven insights into many positive impacts across campus, the greatest benefit is the time it gives back to the people who make the school thrive.

“FACTS has freed our staff to focus on their relationships, and that’s at the heart of teaching,” Seifert explains. “Instead of spending hours managing data, looking for paperwork, our teachers or admin can invest that time in their students and their families. That shift alone has elevated our school culture and strengthened our sense of community.”

Seifert shares one example of how FACTS, and particularly FACTS data, led to a real-world operational change that helped staff and students make the most of their time. The school previously had a tutorial period at the end of the day, but students often didn’t attend because they were ready to go home.

Not wanting to waste teachers’ time, Seifert and his team chose to delay the start of the day by half an hour, moving the tutorial period to first thing in the morning. Using data from FACTS, they measured the success of this program by pulling reports that showed a drastic decrease in tardies since the switch was made, plus more students taking advantage of the tutorial time.

When schools use data to guide decisions, every minute gained can be reinvested in students, relationships, and growth.

Even with a strong partnership in place, it’s crucial to never stop improving. Fittingly, Seifert describes Vanguard’s relationship with FACTS as both reliable and evolving. “The ability of FACTS to continue to grow and listen to consumers is one of the greatest values,” he says. “FACTS doesn’t just sell software; they listen. You don’t feel like a client, you feel like a partner.”

When asked what he would tell other independent schools considering a change, Seifert doesn’t hesitate. “I’d tell them that this is not just a technology investment. It’s a partnership that transforms how your school operates. FACTS brings everything together and eliminates the different silos that so many schools struggle with. It gives you one connected system that truly supports your mission.”

Those kinds of results don’t happen by accident. They’re built through collaboration, innovation, and a partnership that continues to evolve. “If you want a system that grows with you and empowers you and your team,” he concludes, “FACTS is definitely the solution for you.”

Contact the FACTS team to learn how to bring your school’s systems together.