Schools today are awash in digital tools. Each app promises to improve instruction, simplify operations, or engage students—but taken together, they can create a tangled, expensive mess. Without effective organization and clear budget controls, districts risk paying for redundant or unused subscriptions, letting auto-renewals slip by unnoticed, and spending dollars that could be better used elsewhere.
This problem isn’t unique to any one school or district—it’s a nationwide challenge. The sheer volume of apps, platforms, and software licenses makes it nearly impossible to track manually. Spreadsheets get outdated overnight. Emails about renewals are missed. Even well-meaning educators can unintentionally adopt tools outside approved processes, leading to hidden costs and data privacy risks. Ultimately, budgets balloon with little accountability, and schools find themselves unable to answer a simple question: what exactly are we paying for, and why?
Every school system needs a strategy for centralizing ed-tech purchases, maintaining visibility into contracts, and ensuring accountability for what tools are in use. Organizational discipline isn’t just a matter of efficiency; it’s key to responsible stewardship of public dollars and ensuring technology investments truly benefit students.
That’s where platforms like Veracity’s Technology Management System (TMS) come in. Veracity’s TMS offers schools the ability to consolidate every ed-tech purchase, contract, and renewal date into a single system. It provides a real-time view of approved, pending, and unapproved apps—making it easy to identify duplicate purchases or unnecessary renewals. By tracking total spending on each tool and setting automated alerts for upcoming renewals, Veracity empowers districts to align their budgets with educational priorities, not accidental overspending.
Moreover, Veracity’s platform helps schools stay compliant with data privacy rules and procurement laws, while streamlining workflows so that requests don’t languish in endless email chains. Approvals are structured, visible, and documented—building trust with stakeholders and ensuring resources are used wisely.
The Bottom Line
Budgets are tighter than ever, and demands for transparency from parents, boards, and taxpayers are only increasing. Schools can no longer afford disorganized systems that leak precious dollars. By adopting organizational tools like Veracity’s TMS, districts can finally take control of their ed-tech spending, eliminate waste, and focus on what matters most: delivering the best possible education for every student.
Brad Gerstman is a lawyer and education lobbyist with extensive experience advising school districts and education companies on regulatory compliance and budget optimization.
