Manteca Unified School District (MUSD) is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive community for over 25,000 students and their families. Guided by its mission to help students master grade-level standards, MUSD makes informed, data-driven decisions to provide the unique support every student needs to succeed in their educational pathway.
Central to this effort is Q, a comprehensive Student Information System (SIS) that empowers MUSD to simplify and secure student data collection, enhance family communications, and make data-driven decisions. From enrollment to attendance tracking to data analysis, Q has become a key driver in building tools that serve Manteca’s students and their community.
We recently had a chance to sit down with Colby Clark, Director of Information Technology, Ben Cadile, Information Systems Supervisor, and Lindsay Harris, Coordinator of Community Relations and Engagement, to discuss how the district better serves their students and community using Q SIS.
Centralized and Digital Enrollment
MUSD has modernized its enrollment process by using Q Student Documents to store all required documentation electronically. Parents can now submit forms online, streamlining the registration process for both families and administrators.
With all student documents stored in Q, the district keeps sensitive information secure while making it easy for authorized staff to access what they need. The system also helps administrators track down missing paperwork, like unsigned registration forms or blue cards, saving countless hours of administrative time.
“Before storing documents digitally, it was challenging to track down students who were missing information,” Cadile said. “District employees can now find any information they need at the touch of their fingertips, without having to drive to school to access it physically or wait for an email with the information.”
The move to online storage has also tightened up security. Now, the district can carefully control who has access to sensitive information, ensuring student privacy while maintaining efficiency. “With Q, we have strengthened our data security measures, ensuring that student information remains protected and readily available to authorized personnel”, Clark said.
Accessible Online Attendance Reporting
February 2025 marked another step forward as MUSD tackled a common frustration: attendance reporting. The district’s previous system was a maze of voicemails, notes, emails, and phone calls that left parents and administrators juggling multiple communication channels to report and record absences.
The solution was to enable Q’s parent-facing attendance portal, an intuitive web-based system that lets parents self-report absences whenever and wherever it’s convenient for them. The impact was immediate and impressive – within just 30 days of launch, over 3,000 submissions were made by families utilizing the new system.
“Our initial results have been amazing,” Cadile said. “Prior to online attendance reporting, it was a time-consuming process for both parents and administrators. Now, with the online system, we’re seeing quicker response times and increased parent participation.”
To make things even more efficient, MUSD developed a special dashboard widget that shows staff real-time updates on pending absences. This means they can process and manage absence reports quickly, leading to faster responses and better communication with families.
Easily Accessible Data
Q’s data management capabilities give MUSD unparalleled access to comprehensive, clean, and actionable data. With configurable fields, MUSD can tailor the system to collect the specific data needed to support student success and maintain high data hygiene standards.
“What’s great about Q is that we can gather exactly the student data we need and organize it in ways that make sense for our district,” Harris said. “Our staff can actually use the data we collect, which might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many districts struggle with that. Our team can jump in and put it to work right away.”
The district has found a smarter way to handle transportation by bringing all that data into Q. Now, when something changes, like a student no longer needing specialized bus service, the district can send instant notifications to the right people. No more phone tag or delayed emails.
This streamlined approach carries over to other programs the district has consolidated in the Q SIS as well. The district uses the Q Extra Curricular app to manage its Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, which makes tracking who’s attending before and after-school programs easy. Parents can quickly check their kids’ participation in these activities, and MUSD can better understand which programs are making the biggest impact on student growth.
Future Plans for Schools and Community
For the upcoming school year, MUSD is implementing Q Application & Lottery to streamline their enrollment process. No more Excel sheets or paper applications – just a clear, transparent school selection system that makes life easier for families.
“We’re excited to see the improvements Q Application and Lottery will bring,” Cadile shares with enthusiasm. “It’s going to make our open enrollment process more efficient for everyone involved.”
The district also plans to use Q data to better serve their students and the community. They’re using these insights to improve educational outcomes, provide targeted student support, and ensure everyone has equal access to resources.
“Our goal is to harness advanced analytics utilizing Q data to identify and address the unique needs of each student,” Clark explained. “By utilizing these advanced features, we can pinpoint areas where students need the most support and allocate resources more effectively.”
With better data management, more centralized processes, and improved communication tools, MUSD is showing how technology can help create a more inclusive and supportive school community. As the district continues to innovate, Q remains central to its vision of building an even stronger, more connected community for the future.