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6 Best HR Services and Software Solutions for Schools
November 26, 2024

6 Best HR Services and Software Solutions for Schools

Providing high-quality education services, psychological support, and personal motivation should be at the core of the work of schools and other education institutions. To ensure the delivery of top-notch instruction, school administrations need to ensure the effective management of teachers and other human resources without HR operations turning into a main function of the school. To streamline human capital processes and automate many of them, education institutions resort to HR services.

This article ranks the top 6 HR software solutions for schools of different types and sizes. In our selection, we prioritized platforms with comprehensive features, powerful tools, automation options, strong integrations, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing. With the help of these tools, schools can organize the management of human resources and put many tasks on autopilot in order to focus on what really matters - developing students’ minds and skills.

The best HR services and software platforms for schools and education institutions are:

  1. Frontline Education: Best Overall HR Software for Schools
  2. NEOED: Best for Automation
  3. Lanteria: Best for Comprehensive HR Services
  4. ExtensisHR: Best for Schools of Different Sizes
  5. OpenEduCat: Best Open Source HR Software
  6. Paycor: Best for Easy Onboarding

Meanwhile, if you need help in addressing the growing problem of teacher shortages at your institution with top-ranked, live, synchronous, online instruction delivered by state-certified teachers, check out Fullmind.

How We Selected the Best HR Software and Services for Schools

In our selection of the top HR services for schools and education institutions, we focused on the following criteria:

  • Tools and features: We chose software platforms that offer a comprehensive suite of tools that meet all the HR needs of both public and private schools of various sizes.
  • Third-party integrations: We prioritized software solutions that work seamlessly with major tech-based tools used in the education sector.
  • Setup and onboarding: We selected tools that are quick and easy to implement so that school administrations can be on their way to streamlining and automating HR processes.
  • Ease of use: We focused on software apps that offer user-friendly interfaces and do not require hiring dedicated personnel.
  • Reliability: We ranked HR services that do not suffer from frequent technical glitches and downtimes for smooth operations.
  • Fee structure: We gave priority to software products with clear and affordable pricing and no hidden fees.
  • Customer support: We made sure that included companies provide ongoing help and support to education institutions via phone, email, and chat.
  • Customer reviews: We checked the overall ratings of selected apps and read through individual reviews to ensure that they deliver high-quality HR services.
  • Value for money: We picked the 6 HR software platforms that offer the best value for money to schools.

So, based on these factors, the top-ranked HR software solutions for schools are:

1. Frontline Education: Best Overall HR Software for Schools

Frontline Education provides all-in-one school administration software that helps K-12 leaders monitor and manage human resources as well as business operations, student wellbeing, and special education. John Linton founded the company in 1998, with headquarters in Wayne, PA. Their mission is to be partners with the education community by offering innovative technologies and best practices to support K-12 schools in their pursuit of excellence.

Frontline Education Features

Frontline Education boasts a suite of different solutions that address various administrative needs of education institutions. One of them is the Human Capital Management (HCM) Software for Schools.

Frontline HCM Software for Schools offers the following features:

  • Frontline Central: Bringing a connected view of what is going on with school employees for staying on top of HR tasks, automating HR workflows, and setting up users
  • Frontline Human Capital Analytics: Accessing insights and data trends across the Frontline HCM Suite for anticipating teacher shortages and substitute needs, refining professional development programs, monitoring compliance, and ensuring alignment with district goals
  • Frontline HRMS: Managing HR admin tasks efficiently, navigating compensation and benefits, renewing contracts, and getting budget approvals
  • Frontline Recruiting & Hiring: Identifying and recruiting high-potential candidates, hiring more quickly, and transitioning easily from hiring to onboarding
  • Frontline Professional Growth: Supporting educators with personalized learning and collaboration, creating dynamic induction programs, guiding career paths, and conducting growth-focused evaluations
  • Frontline Absence & Time: Obtaining a complete overview of employee attendance, helping teachers request leaves, allowing substitutes to accept jobs, streamlining payroll, and guaranteeing continuous student learning

Additional Frontline Education solutions outside the HR realm include:

  • Student Management
  • Business Operations
  • Student and Business Analytics

All these administration tools that work together in a single platform make Frontline Education the best overall HR service for schools.

Frontline Education Integrations

Frontline Education integrates with multiple third-party software tools to empower schools. Some of the most demanded integrations include:

  • Canvas
  • eSchoolData
  • Keystone Information Systems
  • OpenEdge
  • Schoolmaster
  • SchoolMint
  • Spark Hire
  • PowerSchool
  • Edupoint
  • Edumet
  • Everest
  • ExponentHR
  • Focus School Software
  • Galaxy
  • Link2Portrait
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • National Screening Bureau
  • New World Systems
  • PayServ
  • Paylocity
  • PeopleAdmin
  • PeopleSoft

Frontline Education Costs

The company website does not provide information about the pricing structure of the HR management software. Interested school administrators need to get in touch with Frontline Education to get a quote.

Frontline Education Terms

Frontline Education terms and conditions follow standard practices in the field. It’s recommended for interested schools to ask for a copy of the user agreement to revise in detail before opting in for this HR software.

Frontline Education Implementation Time and Process

Implementing and setting up the Frontline HCM software is supposed to be a quick and easy process with onboarding support provided by the team. Schools can obtain more information about the implementation process and the available onboarding help during a free product demo.

Frontline Education Customer Reviews

Frontline Education reviews are available on:

Customer reviews of Frontline Education are overwhelmingly positive. Happy users highlight the truly intuitive platform, the clean interface, the helpful functionalities, the trouble-free integrations, and the available team. Unhappy customers mention occasional technical bugs, problems with sign in, and poor job notifications.

How to Get Started with Frontline Education

To get started with Frontline Education, schools can request to talk to a customer representative or get a demo via the company website.

2. NEOED: Best for Automation

NEOED is a spinoff of NEOGOV, which is dedicated to serving the HR needs of the public sector. NEOED aims to provide a high-quality, easy-to-use talent management system to education institutions in specific. The company was launched in 2020 and has its headquarters in El Segundo, CA. NEOED’s mission is to serve the people who serve the people based on the values of balance, integrity, and customer focus.

NEOED Features

NEOED solutions comprise:

  • Insight: Applicant Tracking System that streamlines the complex processes of recruiting teachers and other educators
  • Attract: Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) for getting candidates’ attention and hiring for hard-to-fill positions
  • SchoolsJobs: Education Job Board to promote various job types, find qualified candidates, and give visibility to applicants
  • Onboard: Employee Onboarding for taking the manual burden off HR and setting employees for success from day one via paperless, standardized processes
  • Perform: Performance Management for building a more capable school workforce by tracking employee performance and providing constructive feedback
  • Learn: Learning Management System (LMS) for delivering online employee training that cultivates growth, promotes excellence, and improves retention
  • Policy: Policy Management for creating, storing, updating, and distributing policies from one official source of truth
  • eForms: Electronic Forms for securely storing digital employee documents and easily managing routing and approvals with workflows
  • Analytics: Analytics & Reporting for getting critical data that facilitates strong, data-backed decisions

NEOED school HR software features are provided within three modules: Recruit, Develop, and Comply. Together, all available tools help education institutions automate the most time-consuming human capital management processes for smoother and more efficient operations.

NEOED Integrations

NEOED partners with a number of third-party software platforms to facilitate processes for schools. Some noteworthy examples include:

  • Accenture
  • Laserfiche
  • MCCi
  • AccuSource
  • Checkr
  • ChoiceScreening
  • InfoMart
  • Universal Background Screening
  • Sterling Talent Solutions
  • Ellucian
  • CMI Time Management
  • Textio
  • Spark Hire
  • OutSail
  • eSkill

NEOED Costs

NEOED pricing is custom and depends on the used modules and other factors. Schools need to contact the company to obtain a customized cost.

NEOED Terms

NEOED terms and conditions of use follow best practices in the industry. The standard NEOED services agreement has a duration of 12 months, but it can be terminated earlier in some cases.

NEOED Implementation Time and Process

The process of getting started with NEOED is designed to be easy. The company has developed online sources available on the website to help institutions with implementation and onboarding. Existing customers report different implementation experiences.

NEOED Customer Reviews

NEOED reviews are available on:

While there are relatively few online reviews of NEOED, they show generally positive experiences. Satisfied NEOED customers highlight the wonderful product, the fantastic modules, the seamless integration between different functionalities, the turnkey solutions, and the easy onboarding. Dissatisfied education professionals report inability to add instructions, inadequate staff transition features, poor implementation of some jobs, and technical glitches.

How to Get Started with NEOED

To get started with NEOED, public schools and colleges can request a free demo via the company website.

3. Lanteria Best for Comprehensive HR Services

Lanteria provides a comprehensive, secure HR management system that centralizes employee data and simplifies the HR stack. This HR software serves different industries, but it has a specialized setup for schools and other education institutions. Sergey Balukon and Andrey Bukhtiyarov started Lanteria in 2006, with headquarters in Miami, FL. The company aims to provide innovative HR solutions to education and other enterprises, especially those using Microsoft Office 365.

Lanteria Features

Lanteria comes with many features that aim to cover all aspects of the HR management process for schools and general education institutions.

Lanteria products include:

  • HR Platform: Core HR to control HR processes; Compensation to keep and structure all information about employees’ salaries, benefits, and incentives; and Report Center to get value from data
  • Hiring & Onboarding: Recruiting to set up a career portal that automatically publishes job openings and allows applicants to upload documents and track interviews; Talent Pipeline to create and publish job openings and automate onboarding; Applicant Tracking System to automate and streamline recruitment processes; and Onboarding to welcome new members of the workforce onboard
  • HR Data & Reporting: Compensation to adjust compensation policy, plan salary budgets, and manage compensations; Org Charts to reflect changes in the workforce and departments; and Reporting & Analytics to capitalize on data for productive and effective organizational decisions
  • Time & Attendance: Time Tracking to control team members and track their attendance and Leave Policies & Management to administer absence policies and processes
  • Employee Experience & Performance: Goal Management to set strong quantitative and qualitative goals, track progress, create greater focus, and guide employees to achieve objectives; Employee Recognition & Feedback to use employee feedback to make data-driven decisions that improve morale, boost productivity, and drive success; Performance Reviews to streamline review management; and Self-Service Portal to increase employee engagement and deliver a great user experience
  • Learning & Development: Employee Development Solutions to provide employees with reskilling for productivity and compliance and upskilling for career progression and Digital Learning Environment to centralize onboarding and training courses and mandatory career testing

Lanteria Integrations

Lanteria provides integrations with a number of third-party software platforms for smooth and full-service operations including:

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Job Target
  • SEEK
  • Predictive Index
  • DocuSign
  • Zip Recruiter
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • Go1
  • Office365
  • SharePoint
  • Active Directory
  • Adobe Acrobat Sign
  • ADP
  • Power BI
  • Zapier
  • Exchange

Lanteria Costs

The pricing of the modular Lanteria system is designed to support the specific needs of every school. School representatives have to contact the Lanteria sales team to get a custom quote which includes the license fee, implementation fee, and support costs.

Lanteria Terms

Lanteria terms and conditions are aligned with best practices in the HR software industry. Still, potential customers are advised to review the user agreement in detail before committing to the Lanteria services.

Lanteria Implementation Time and Process

The Lanteria implementation plan includes installation and configuration, product customization, data import and migration, integration with third-party systems, testing and validation, consultancy and trainings, and maintenance and support.

Lanteria Customer Reviews

Lanteria reviews are available on:

While there aren’t many online reviews of Lantern, they show good customer satisfaction. Positive reviews of Lanteria highlight the comprehensive features, the ability to automate important operations, the useful tools, the high degree of flexibility, and the competitive cost. Negative reviews talk about limited customization, poor implementation, and insufficient customer support.

How to Get Started with Lanteria

To get started with Lanteria, interested school administrators can book a demo by filling in an online form on the company website.

4. ExhensisHR: Best for Schools of Different Sizes

ExtensisHR combines an HR software with HR services for flexibility that is able to meet the human capital management needs of institutions with varying sizes. Richard Augustyn started the company in 1997, with headquarters in Woodbridge, NJ. While ExtensisHR works with partners in different industries, the company specializes in HR software for small and big charter schools, private schools, career and technical schools, and training centers. ExtensisHR core values include collaboration, responsibility, constant improvement, and integrity.

ExtensisHR Features

ExtensisHR offers the following tools and services for HR management:

  • Centralized Platform: Unified, mobile-first platform to securely manage HR tasks such as payroll, benefits, recruiting, compliance, and others
  • HR Services: Outsourcing of HR services including guidance, payroll, tax administration, and talent recruitment to experts
  • Benefit Services: Management of employee benefits and savings plans with minimal maintenance
  • Compliance: Expert support on EPP, workplace safety, state unemployment, and workers’ compensation

Available features are customizable to meet the needs of schools of different sizes.

ExtensisHR Integrations

ExtensisHR does not list the integrations that it provides to deliver HR services to schools.

ExtensisHR Costs

The ExtensisHR website does not provide pricing information, which means that interested school administrators need to get in touch with the sales team to ask for a quote.

ExtensisHR Terms

ExtensisHR does not specify the terms and conditions of use on their website, so schools and education institutions need to contact the company and ask for a copy of the user agreement to check it out before making a decision whether to opt in for this HR service.

ExtensisHR Implementation Time and Process

The process of implementing and launching ExtensisHR is supposed to be easy and straightforward. Partner schools get a dedicated account team of certified HR experts to ensure that HR services align with school goals.

ExtensisHR Customer Reviews

ExtensisHR reviews are available on:

Online reviews of ExtensisHR show varying ratings resulting from a mix of more and less positive experiences. Customers that are happy with the product highlight the all-in-one HR solutions, the white-glove services, the helpful and always available staff, and the professional and kind customer support. Unhappy users report outdated technology, complex features, and difficult-to-find reports.

How to Get Started with ExtensisHR

To get started with ExtensisHR, schools need to contact the sales team via an online form available on the company website.

5. OpenEduCat: Best Open Source HR Software

OpenEduCat is an all-inclusive open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform for education institutions including schools, colleges, and universities. Parthiv Patel established the company in 2012 with headquarters in Claymont, DE. OpenEduCat operates as a cloud-based or premise-based school management system that can be easily accessed from anywhere when informed decisions need to be made.

OpenEduCat Features

One of the main solutions provided by the comprehensive OpenEduCat platform is the Faculty Management System.

The OpenEduCat Faculty Management System comes with the following features:

  • Onboarding Process for Faculty & Staff: Integrated platform for simplifying faculty hiring by streamlining recruiting, top-tier faculty acquisition, and onboarding
  • Faculty Lifecycle Management: Comprehensive directory for proactively overseeing faculty paths containing all information, appointments, contract terms, workload, and career milestones
  • Advanced Faculty Search: Enabling hiring committees to attract top candidates and create a positive image for the school and the department
  • Advancement & Long-Term Service: Streamlining cross-disciplinary teacher reviews to offer candidates a transparent and consistent growth process
  • Extensive Data Solutions: Faculty activity reporting module with top-notch data quality for accurate and dependable teacher information
  • Faculty Portal: Applicant portal for handling documents, monitoring application status, viewing job openings, and accessing reports
  • Academic Staff List: Comprehensive list of full-time and part-time staff educators sortable by key categories
  • Efficient Communication: Communication tool for generating and archiving email exchanges with colleagues and management regarding professional development

Additional tools that support HR services for schools comprise:

  • Timesheets: Tracking attendance for teachers, mentors, and tutors
  • Payroll: Bringing together structured contracts, allowances and deductions, payslip batches, complete employment management, employee self-service portal, contribution register, and detailed reporting
  • Leave Request: Streamlining the process of applying for and approving sick leaves, holiday leaves, and other leaves
  • E-sign: Automating the documentation process via documentation creation tools and e-signatures

The availability of all these tools, which can be used both as a cloud-based app and a premised-based platform, make OpenEduCat one of the best HR services for schools and higher education institutions.

OpenEduCat Integrations

OpenEduCat supplies integrations with the following software apps:

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Meet
  • Zoom
  • WhatsApp
  • BigBlueButton

OpenEduCat Costs

OpenEduCat has two different pricing plans: For on-cloud use (where the company is the host) and on-premise use (where the education institution is the host). The cloud-based subscription cost ranges from $79/month to $599/month when billed annually, depending on access to features, storage size, and customer support. The premise-based subscription plans cost varies by institution, and it is a one-time fee of about $6,000 for K-12 schools.

OpenEduCat provides a free trial of all plans, which differentiates from the majority of other school HR software solutions.

OpenEduCat Terms

The terms of use of OpenEduCat are different from the cloud-based and the premise-based platform. On-cloud packages can be monthly or annual, while access to the on-premise app is charged as a one-time fee with available customer support for an annual fee.

OpenEduCat Implementation Time and Process

OpenEduCat provides guided onboarding. When using the platform on cloud, the onboarding fee is included in the annual subscription cost. When opting for the app on premise, there is an onboarding fee of $599, which is included in the $6,000 price for K-12 schools quoted above.

OpenEduCat Customer Reviews

OpenEduCat reviews are available on:

There are few online customer reviews of OpenEduCat, and they show mixed experiences. Positive reviews discuss the complete software, the ability to meet many administrative needs, the suitability for education institutions of different sizes, and the ease of use. Negative reviews mention abundant and confusing menus, complicated processes, and a steep learning curve.

How to Get Started with OpenEduCat

To get started with OpenEduCat, school representatives can start a free trial or schedule a demo.

6. Paycor: Best for Easy Onboarding

Paycor offers a HCM platform that aims to modernize every aspect of the management of human resources. While this software can be used by various industries, Paycor has a specific HR software dedicated to schools. Robert Coughlin founded the company in 1990, with headquarters in Cincinnati, OH. The goal of the company is to empower leaders to drive real results.

Paycor Features

Paycor features multiple tools that help with different aspects of the management of human capital. These include:

  • HR & Payroll: Payroll Software to pay employees from anywhere; HR Software to manage all employee tasks and documents in one place; Analytics to get workforce insights for making crucial decisions; and Expense Management Software to review, reimburse, and report on employee expenses
  • Talent Acquisition: Recruiting Software to find quality candidates, communicate with them, and get analytics; Automated Talent Sourcing to automate sourcing and increase candidate diversity; and Onboarding Software to connect with new hires and make a lasting first impression
  • Talent Management: Talent Development to increase engagement and inspire employees; Career Management Software to retain and coach workforce; Paycor Paths to support managers with development activities and create effective leaders; Learning Management System to maximize training and development with personalized content; Pulse Surveys to gather and convert employee feedback into real insights; and Compensation Management to plan, manage, and execute pay increases and rewards
  • Workforce Management: Time & Attendance Software to control costs and mitigate risk with accurate timekeeping and Scheduling Software to organize the team, manage schedules, and communicate info in real time
  • Benefits Administration: Benefits Advisor to reduce the administration and maximize the effect of the benefits program; ACA Reporting Software to streamline the reporting for ACA filing; and Workers’ Compensation to eliminate large down payments and end-of-year surprises
  • Compliance Solutions: Compliance Overview to reduce risk, save time, and simplify compliance management; Talent Acquisition to stay ahead of recruiting and hiring regulations; Payroll/Business Tax Credits to comply with the latest payroll and tax regulations; Workforce Benefits to ensure accurate filing and mitigate risk; Regulatory Compliance to track documentation and control labor expenses; and Data & Security to protect data

All these features come with easy implementation, which is one of the reasons that make Paycor one of the top HR services for schools and universities.

Paycor Integrations

Paycor integrates with 300+ third-party software tools to support customer experiences. Some major integrations include:

  • AmTrust Financial Services
  • Atlantic Capital
  • Beacon
  • Benefitfirst
  • BenefitWerks
  • BexExpress
  • BlueStar
  • BPAS
  • Careworks
  • CloudPlay
  • Crunch Fitness
  • Datatel
  • Decisely
  • Discovery Benefits
  • eCore
  • Paytient
  • Guusto
  • Guideline
  • EPIC Retirement Plan Services
  • Atlametrics
  • Certify
  • Fidelity Investments
  • Fiserv
  • Listo
  • Colonial Life
  • HomeLand HealthCare
  • Humana
  • Ignite
  • Impact Benefits LLC
  • Indeed
  • TechSoft Systems
  • Kudos
  • Lattice
  • Lessonly
  • Liazon
  • LinkedIn
  • MacromatiX
  • Maximus
  • Monster
  • Navia
  • Velosio
  • OnBase
  • OneDigital
  • Oracle
  • PAI
  • PayFlex
  • POSitouch
  • Ubiquity
  • Smartlinx
  • Optum
  • Tapcheck
  • Spark Hire
  • Virgil HR
  • Workday
  • Workpulse
  • Yardi
  • Zevo

Paycor Costs

Paycor pricing depends on the size of the plan, the education institution, and the selected features. Costs are generally custom, and interested schools need to get in touch with the Paycor sales team to get a quote.

Paycor Terms

Paycor terms and conditions of use follow standard practices in the HR software for schools.

Paycor Implementation Time and Process

Paycor provides best-in-class implementation via hands-on guidance, expert support, and AI-based tools. The company has developed GUIDE, its proprietary implementation methodology focused on understanding and addressing the unique needs of each institution and modernizing their HCM experience. However, some customers report that this is misguiding, and implementation can be challenging.

Paycor Customer Reviews

Paycor reviews are available on:

  • Capterra: 4.4/5 stars from 2,900 reviews
  • GetApp: 4.4/5 stars from 2,900 reviews
  • Software Advice: 4.4/5 stars from 2,900 reviews
  • G2: 3.9/5 stars from 791 reviews
  • TrustRadius: 7.4/10 stars from 628 reviews
  • BBB: 1.24/5 stars from 129 reviews
  • Trustpilot: 1.5/5 stars from 59 reviews
  • Yelp: 1.1/5 stars from 38 reviews
  • Gartner: 4.1/5 stars from 18 reviews

There are thousands of online reviews of Paycor that reveal both positive and negative experiences. Happy Paycor customers praise the scalability, the potential to grow faster, the great features, the simplicity of use, the ability to automate processes, and the premium customer support option. Users who are less happy with the platform complain about inefficient customization, poor implementation, inadequate integrations, and bad customer service.

How to Get Started with Paycor

To get started with Paycor, school HR staff can request a consultation on the company website.

Bottom Line

These are the 6 best HR services and software solutions for schools. Institutions looking for all-in-one platforms that automate the majority of HR management processes can check out Frontline Education, NEOED, and Lanteria. Schools interested in open source solutions can opt for OpenEduCat, while those that value quick and easy implementation can contact Paycor. Both small and large schools can work with ExtensisHR.

Meanwhile, if you need help in addressing teacher vacancies through synchronous, real-time, quality instruction, get in touch with Fullmind to discuss the best options for your school or district.