Get to Know BigSIS
Founder Ben Alexandra created BigSIS to provide an all-in-one, user-friendly experience for staff and families. As a parent, he saw the value in having a system that connected each step of the process. Plus, he recognized that staff and families are not always technology experts—nor should they be! He created BigSIS to be intuitive and easy to use for everyone.
In 2022, BigSIS joined the Community Brands K-12 family to continue
expanding its capabilities and reaching more schools. With powerful integrations with other Community Brands solutions like MIP Fund Accounting, GiveSmart fundraising, and Ravenna admissions solutions, the possibilities to provide schools with everything they need are amplified.
BigSIS is a cloud-based school management and student information system (SIS) centered on admissions, enrollment, tuition management, data management, fundraising, and academics; it allows for personalized, connected online experiences for your entire school community.
What Type of School Is BigSIS Designed For?
School solutions are a significant investment, so naturally, you want to ensure you find the right fit. Yet, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what you need in new software. Consider these three features of BigSIS as a starting point—could your school benefit from them? If so, BigSIS may be right for your school.
Flexible Modules and Advanced Integrations
Since BigSIS is fully customizable, you can configure modules to work for your existing school processes as needed. Create workflows, customize contracts, apply custom filters based on what data you need, and more.
Plus, you can integrate BigSIS with other Community Brands K-12 offerings: MIP Fund Accounting, School and Student Services financial aid, Ravenna advanced admissions solution, and GiveSmart advanced fundraising. Or, sync it with popular favorites that many schools already use, such as QuickBooks or Excel.
All-in-one System That Streamlines Across the Board
BigSIS has several features that connect each step of the student lifecycle. A unified record system maintains and syncs information for students, families, and staff across the system—this gives you access to accurate information at all times across modules and drastically reduces manual reentry between multiple systems.
Students, families, and staff have access to their own portals that streamline communication between all parties. For example, once teachers complete grading, they can share a grade report with families via the parent portal. The portals allow everyone to stay connected in a way that works for them—since BigSIS is cloud-based, the portals can be safely accessed on any device at home or on the go; busy families appreciate the convenience, while staff gain the flexibility to work from home if needed.
Long-term Scalability
Your school’s needs are constantly changing and growing—you need a system built to grow alongside you. Whether you aim to increase enrollment numbers or need to quickly implement a new process, BigSIS has you covered. From the flexibility within each module to the growing number of integrations, our team can configure BigSIS to adapt to your changing needs.
BigSIS Capabilities
Take a closer look at the capabilities of each BigSIS module by reading about it or viewing our short and sweet Spotlight Series videos.
Tuition Management
The latest addition to the BigSIS modules, tuition management, allows you to collect various online payments, set up flexible payment plans, and offer automatic payments. Add in special requirements and addendums for individuals or in bulk. Plus, customize each contract by adding financial aid, sibling discounts, and additional fees as needed.
Admissions and Enrollment
With admissions and enrollment, you can collect and track online applications, view real-time enrollment data, and manage multiple contracts, signers, and payment plans. Quickly move students and families from admission to securing their enrollment within one system.
Fundraising
Centralized data means you can leverage insights from admissions, enrollment, and fundraising activities to plan targeted campaigns. View historical insights, segment donors, and create targeted campaigns. If you want to expand fundraising efforts even further, pair it with Ravenna for advanced capabilities like interview management and lead nurturing.
Academics
Staying on top of attendance, grading, and assignments is easy with BigSIS Academics. Record in-person and virtual class attendance at a time most convenient for your teachers. Create grade books with categories for homework, tests, class participation, and more. Then, add homework with instructions and resource documents, and assign the appropriate grading weight. Once posted to the portal, students and parents can view assignments and download documents.
Information and Data Management
As mentioned, the unified record system and personalized portals keep everyone current and connected. School administrators can quickly filter and sort records of any type across the system for an accurate, up-to-date look at your school’s performance at any time. The real-time updates help you maintain clean data and eliminate time spent manually fixing errors.
Continue Exploring
Together, BigSIS and Community Brands offer powerful solutions for K-12 schools. We are dedicated to providing a best-in-class experience for schools of all sizes and the flexibility to use our solutions to propel each school’s mission and goals. BigSIS is designed for schools looking for an all-in-one solution that creates efficiencies while enhancing the user experience.
Ready to keep exploring BigSIS? Download our free BigSIS Buyer’s Guide, which goes into greater detail about features and capabilities. Or, if you prefer to talk to someone from our team, schedule a time to connect and discuss your school’s needs by submitting a demo form.