Overview

When Brittney Garrett joined Splendora Independent School District (ISD) as District Activity Account Specialist, they were already implementing KEV Group’s school finance platform to manage school-level accounting, but not yet to collect payments.

Brittney’s mandate was clear: get families actively using the online payment system and offer students more ways to pay, while reducing the burden and risk of cash-handling across schools.

By expanding Splendora ISD’s use of KEV Group’s solutions to include both online payments and point-of-sale (POS) devices that directly connect to the platform, the district transformed from cash dependent to virtually cashless. Students and parents gained easier ways to pay and staff gained a single system that made reconciliation faster and more efficient.

The Challenge

Operations relied on cash, causing bottlenecks

With a mission to cultivate exceptional people, Splendora ISD provides a dynamic learning environment for approximately 5,900 students across 79 square miles in Montgomery County, Texas. While the district already used KEV Group’s school finance platform for accounting, Brittney saw an opportunity to extend its use into payments to reduce cash, lower risk and improve the experience for both staff and families.

High school students had limited options for paying for prom tickets, spirit wear, parking permits and other school activities. Since the district’s online payment portal was designed for parents, students had to rely on them to complete transactions. Many teens, however, craved the independence to pay directly with debit cards or mobile wallets, reflecting the instant, self-serve checkout experiences they’ve come to expect in retail environments.

This disconnect frustrated students and created more work for staff. Every cash payment meant manual handling, bank deposits, and reconciliation that kept secretaries at their desks long after the school day had ended.

The Solution

Provide immediate and convenient payment options

To meet families where they were technologically and financially, Brittney expanded Splendora ISD’s use of KEV Group’s K-12 management platform to include online payments and POS devices. These devices gave students the flexibility to pay in person with cards or mobile wallets, while parents used the online system.

The KEV Group advantage: One system for all payment types

Unlike other solutions that force staff to manage separate systems for accounting, online payments, and in-person transactions, KEV Group handles everything in one place. Every transaction flows into a single platform in real time, meaning administrative staff don’t have to juggle multiple tools, reconcile separate reports or worry about posting errors.

Splendora ISD began with a pilot program, placing two POS devices at the high school. The first real-world test came when seniors used the machines to sell shirts in the auditorium, and the devices exceeded expectations.

“I was able to be there when they first used the first machine. The seniors were selling shirts in the auditorium. It went so fast, and it was just so easy.”

– Brittney Garrett, District Activity Account Specialist, Splendora ISD

Because the devices were so intuitive, students could operate them independently during events. That gave students ownership, while giving secretaries valuable time back.

Providing flexible and convenient payment options led to widespread community adoption

Adoption was immediate across the Splendora ISD community. Students embraced the convenience of paying by card, while staff appreciated the real-time visibility into every transaction. With everything captured in one system, reconciliation was streamlined and chance for error significantly reduced. Just as important, going digital increased dollars collected – purchases that might have been lost when students or parents didn’t have cash on hand at events now translated into additional revenue for the district.

What began as a small pilot quickly grew. The high school doubled its number of POS devices from two to four, and other departments from cosmetology to CTE programs began requesting their own.

The Results

Transformation to a mostly cash-free district with widespread adoption

Splendora ISD’s transition to a virtually cashless district fundamentally reshaped operations:

  • High school cash reduction: Students now prefer card payments over cash
  • Unified reporting: Finance staff can now see all transactions in a single, real-time dashboard, eliminating hours of manual reconciliation each week
  • One platform for all payments: Secretaries manage everything through a single system, not three separate tools

The technology’s intuitive design also transformed the staff experience. Secretaries who were initially reluctant to learn a new system soon became advocates once they experienced how much easier their work became.

“Teaching them a new software was difficult because they weren’t keen on learning it; however, now their feedback is amazing, and they love using the system.”

– Brittney Garrett, District Activity Account Specialist, Splendora ISD

For students, the system brought independence. They could buy tickets, merchandise, and services with their own debit cards — no longer dependent on parents to complete payments.

Splendora ISD demonstrates how one comprehensive platform can solve multiple problems at once. For Brittney, the difference isn’t just in having POS devices, but in having devices that are fully connected to the same K-12 platform families and staff already use.

That integration is what saves secretaries hours of reconciliation time, gives district leaders a complete financial picture, and ensures parents and students always have the flexibility they need.

“The system is so user-friendly. Everyone is happy. Parents love that they can pay student fees online and a lot of the time, our students are the ones running the POS machines. And a huge burden has been lifted for our secretaries and staff.”

– Brittney Garrett, District Activity Account Specialist, Splendora ISD