Case Study: Danville Public Schools
From Patchwork Processes to a Clean, Integrated Clocking Experience
A Virginia river town with a maker’s mentality, Danville sits along the Dan River near the southern state line. In recent years the city has poured energy into revitalizing its River District and growing advanced manufacturing, while its school district has been investing in systems that serve staff and students with more reliability and less friction. That backdrop is where Danville Public Schools’ Director of Technology and Media Services, Marcus Chaney, began reshaping how the district manages employee absence and time.
Where Danville Started
Marcus has been in the district more than a decade, long enough to remember the paper timesheets that had to be filled out by hourly employees each week to begin an inefficient process of collection, review, correction, and manual entry into payroll.
“We started off with pencil and paper,” Marcus said. “Everything was written down, turned in to a supervisor, and signed off. There was a lot of room for error.”
The district tried a digital absence and time tracking solution from a large software vendor, but for several years, accuracy and reliability lagged badly.
“The data was incorrect. That’s what made us look for a solution,” he explained.
“Go with Red Rover. It’ll make your life easier.”
“Get Touchpoint for clocking. It’s quick, it’s simple, and people actually use it.”
The Turning Point
At a regional conference, Marcus and team met Red Rover. Their Absence Management solution made sense for teachers and substitutes, and their fully-integrated Time Tracking system promised cleaner handoffs of hourly employee data to payroll. Danville implemented Red Rover Absence Management first, then started their rollout of Time Tracking.
At the outset of the project, Marcus realized they needed dedicated time clocks for a successful rollout and asked Red Rover for recommendations. Their account rep pointed Marcus to Red Rover’s time clock partner, Touchpoint, and Danville chose to add badge-scanning SmartClocks to make clocking simple for hourly staff.
Why add physical clocks rather than go mobile-only or DIY Chromebook kiosks on carts or counters?
“People forget their phone, or forget to clock in on the phone,” Marcus explained. “If you go to the private sector, they all have physical time clocks. We wanted everyone in the flow with a clock before giving the option of phone or online.”
Marcus also specifically wanted to avoid a cobbled-together, obtrusive clock-in kiosk that would become the face of the district’s new software investment. Leadership wanted to build trust with the entire user experience, including the professionalism of the clock-in experience for end users.
“[The SmartClock] is professional looking, and it's out of the way.”
Why Red Rover Time Tracking with Touchpoint SmartClocks
Fast, obvious clocking for schools. At a doorway or staff entrance, Danville employees tap a badge or type an ID. The clock confirms, and people move on.
“You can either input your employee ID or scan your fob,” Marcus said. “It’s tied to you, and then it signs you in. It’s very simple.”
“It’s quick - just seconds.”
Less risk than DIY carts or Chromebooks. The team had no interest in equipment that drifts, breaks, goes obsolete, or worse – goes missing.
“With Chromebooks, there’s a lot of security you have to set up, or you end up with a generic account,” he noted. “And there’s the risk of walking away.”
Accurate data across absence and time. Red Rover’s fully-unified Absence Management and Time Tracking solution keeps records aligned so payroll closes faster and more accurately.
“So far, the data has been very accurate.”
A practical backup plan. Marcus knew that badge-scanning should be the primary time collection method, but has also overseen district technology long enough to plan for available alternate options. For instance, when a staff member gets a new badge that hasn’t been configured yet or forgets theirs, no one waits; no one misses a time punch.
“If a person has a new fob and it isn’t in the system yet, they just type their employee ID number on the clock, and they’re good to go.”
Why Not Mobile-only or DIY
Despite Danville’s investment in dedicated time clocks and badge-scanning, Marcus is not anti-mobile. He simply reserves it for the right use cases, like time-off requests.
“Phones are fine for some things like registering absences. For daily clock-in, we wanted a simple, secure badge scan. It’s fast, and it reduces mistakes.”
On DIY carts and tablets, his verdict is equally clear.
“Don’t create tech debt. Just look at the systems. You’re going to get all the support they say you will, and the clocks just work”
Rollout and Day-to-day Operations
Marcus credits the combined partner team for a rollout that matched the realities of schools. Red Rover introduced Touchpoint, SmartClocks shipped and arrived within days (not weeks), and the district trained staff in short, simple steps.
“We met with them weekly,” he said. “They’ll go in and show you how to do it.”
When a clock once glitched after hours, Touchpoint support was prompt and straightforward.
“We reached out to support, and they told us what to do,” Marcus said. “It was a quick fix.”
And when hardware needs to be swapped, there is no drama or delay with Touchpoint’s White Glove Service & Support.
“If something happens, I just pick up the phone for support. They replace it.”
Results that Matter to Payroll and Support Staff
The Touchpoint-Red Rover partnership for time tracking resulted in meaningful operational and morale improvements across the district.
- Speed at the door. Badge scans take seconds, lines disappear, and staff stop thinking about the tool.
- Cleaner payroll. Absence and time records match reliably and seamlessly, which reduces manual corrections by Payroll staff.
- Fewer tickets. IT is not babysitting carts, browsers, or kiosk logins.
- Happier classified staff. People clock in with what they already carry, their badge. If needed, they key an ID and move on.
Partner Service that Earns Trust
Consistent, fast, human support has been a consistent theme Marcus looks for with Danville’s technology partners and Touchpoint and Red Rover have delivered.
“We had weekly meetings with Red Rover,” Marcus said. “They’ll physically go in and show you how to do it.”
“Touchpoint support has been excellent. When we need something, we get answers.”
Marcus’ Advice to Other Districts
“Go with Red Rover,” he said. “It’ll make your life easier.”
“Get Touchpoint for clocking. It’s quick, it’s simple, and people actually use it.”
Snapshot
- District: Danville Public Schools, Virginia
- Solution: Red Rover Absence Management and Time Tracking with Touchpoint badge-scanning SmartClocks
- Replaced: Paper timesheets, followed by an unreliable software system
- Highlights: Fast badge scans, accurate absence and time data, fewer headaches, responsive support
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