FreshSchools Reviews

“fundraising made simple”

Pros

Keeping parents, students and schools connected for fundraisers is much more convenient with this and I really appreciate that it cuts out the usual paper packets being sent home, along with the hassle of lost order forms or missing money.

Cons

One thing that would make it better is adding the day of the week to the labels.

“helpful parent communication tool”

Pros

One thing this software does really well is keep communication flowing with parents, homerooms and other groups in the school community. I also find that scheduling email reminders ahead of time is very helpful for important school events. It's user-friendly for both teachers and parents which makes it practical for everyday use.

Cons

I haven't run into any problems with the software.

“Great for parent communication hub”

Pros

Having one central place for parent and community engagement has made a noticeable difference at the school where I teach. Instead of dealing with long email threads where important details get lost, I've found parents can go straight to a single space for updates and information. The platform is very user friendly and I also find the interface looks polished and inviting.

Cons

Getting everything set up took some time at the beginning but aside from that I really haven't run into any problems with the software. I would also love to see a fully free version available instead of only offering a free trial.

“excellent school admin toolkit”

Pros

This platform seems to cover just about everything a school administrator would need to run a school and stay in touch with parents. I find the onboarding process very easy for teachers and adding student and parent information is simple and quick.

Cons

The only downside is that it does not offer many integration options, such as Google Docs or Slack.

“great software”

Pros

Our printed school directory has been completely replaced by this app and it has worked out really well. I find parents can use it to stay in touch with the school and also communicate with one another. It's very user-friendly and parents can update their own information without needing extra help.

Cons

At this point, I honestly can't point to anything wrong with the program. The company's support is quick to respond and anytime I've had an issue, it's been resolved promptly.

“fantastic school management”

Pros

Right from the start, I find the interface pleasant to use. Even though an academic environment involves many different users like students, teachers, parents and representatives, plus plenty of details that need to be set up such as grade levels, sections, students and teachers, the application handles all of that in a very simple way. This software works well for any kind of educational institution and does a really good job managing students, teachers, courses, classrooms, galleries, documents events and all the other day-to-day parts of a school community. One thing worth highlighting is how much it improves communication between the school, parents and students by taking advantage of internet-based tools and connected devices like email.

Cons

Although it offers a 30-day free trial, you have to pay for a license to keep using the software in full.

“Amazing for teacher-parent communication”

Pros

Once everything is configured, I find the platform becomes very simple to work with. It's especially well suited for tech-savvy users. Teachers can message class parents without much hassle, assign work and send attachments which makes communication and organization really convenient.

Cons

The initial setup takes a bit of effort and can feel somewhat tough. A few features aren't the most simple, although overall the software still works very well. The biggest downside came in year three, when the annual fee was doubled for fewer features and keeping the same features would have cost 75% more than in the previous two years. That's a major issue especially for small schools or PTA/PTO groups.

“on the way to perfection”

Pros

Our rep has gone above and beyond to work with us and I really appreciate that. Since this is a new site, we're constantly adjusting things to make sure it fits all of our needs and it's definitely moving in the right direction toward exactly what we want.

Cons

No cons so far.

“fast updates and stellar support”

Pros

New features are rolled out at a rapid pace and I've found the support team incredibly responsive whenever help is needed.

Cons

The email and communication tools still have room to be more powerful but new features keep getting added every week and the support team is exceptionally quick to respond.

“amazing for school communication”

Pros

Across our school, this has been a really valuable tool for improving communication. I find it simple to use and it comes with several features we really enjoy especially the fundraising tool. The customer support has been fantastic as well. I also appreciate that they keep adding updates and working to make the program even better.

Cons

Nothing.

“useful fundraising features”

Pros

It's easy to use and I find it also comes with built-in fundraising tools which is really helpful.

Cons

Discussion boards still need more functionality. Any parent should be able to start a thread, replying to posts by email should be possible and calendar sync is definitely needed.

“awesome support and custom grades”

Pros

We've been really happy with it. The customer support has been outstanding, I can send over an email and usually get a reply almost right away. They even added custom grades to fit what we needed which helps make sure all of our students are represented accurately.

Cons

No complaints.

“budget-friendly parent directory win”

Pros

When our school moved from a paper directory to a web-based system, this turned out to be the perfect fit for what we needed. Parents, teachers and the administration all really enjoy using it. The app is very simple to navigate and parents can update their own information without any hassle. On top of that, it works well within our budget which has been a huge plus.

Cons

I am happy with this tool.

“all-in-one communication win”

Pros

Before switching, we were juggling a separate tool for weekly emails, the school calendar, fundraisers, file sharing and other administrative needs. This brought everything together in one user-friendly place. A lot of our communication used to depend on paper handouts and last-minute updates which often led to confusion or missed messages. The permission settings also made a big difference since we could hand off tasks to room parents that had previously fallen on just one or two people for the entire school making parent communication faster and much more manageable.

Cons

Perfect tool for me and my team.

“Centralized tool for school hub”

Pros

Having one online place for school administrators, teachers, parents and room parents makes a huge difference. This tool pulls together everything people need in one central hub so communication stays simple and efficient. The calendar, classroom roster event sign-ups, extracurricular activities, photos and more are all included which makes staying organized much easier. The app is a must-have because everything is right there in one place. On top of that, I like that pricing is very reasonable and the customer support has been phenomenal. It feels as convenient as Amazon but built specifically for schools.

Cons

Nothing to mention from my side.

“helpful support and simple setup”

Pros

The platform feels simple and easy to use and I've found the technical support really helpful whenever needed.

Cons

A few things could be improved, though. We would prefer the option to hide or customize some of the features in the left-side menu and it would help if email was not required since not every family has one. It would also be nice to have a dedicated space for teachers to schedule conferences.

“clean interface and strong value”

Pros

Interface is well designed and pleasant to use which I personally find makes day-to-day navigation easy.

Cons

It could go a bit deeper when it comes to using fundraising as part of directory data entry but aside from that, it's excellent.

“all-in-one parent communication hub”

Pros

Having everything gathered in one place has been a huge plus for me, calendar, family details, messages, photos and assignments are all right there. I also find that letting parents fill in their own contact information saves me a lot of time and keeps everything up to date. I can reach parents however they prefer, whether by text or email, without having to create separate messages. It also gives families one central spot to check important classroom event information and current assignments. On top of that, I can organize sign-ups for volunteers, like drivers for field trips or snack donations for class parties.

Cons

At this point, I really haven't run into any issues with the software. On the few occasions when I wasn't sure how to do something, customer support was quick to help. This year, all of the teachers at our school will be using it and I'm excited that it should make collaborating with my coworkers much more convenient.

“chalkboard keeps everything visible”

Pros

I really enjoy the chalkboard feature. As soon as I post my message, it goes out immediately which I find very helpful. I also like having all posts displayed there in one place so I can always go back and reference them whenever needed.

Cons

Don't have any real complaints about the software. If I could add anything, it would be the option to post short videos. I'd also love to have a page students could access for viewing documents and photos.

“easy setup and navigation”

Pros

Right from the start, this has easily been the best software I've used. Getting everything set up was quick and easy, I gave Joe the information he needed and it was running in no time. The system is very user-friendly and I find the menus simple to move through without being buried under layers of submenus. One thing I'd still love to see is a mobile admin app. I really appreciate being able to log in from my smartphone already but having a dedicated app would make it even better. Overall I'm really happy with the software and excited to see what future updates bring.

Cons

No complaints.