Case Study: Van Buren County Community School District Future-Proofs their Time Tracking
How Touchpoint's dedicated SmartClocks ease employee anxiety and simplify payroll at a rural district
Historic Roots, Modern Challenges
Nestled in the southeastern corner of Iowa, Van Buren County CSD invites visitors to travel back in time with its quaint historic villages, abundant antique shopping, and peaceful lakes and rivers that hearken to a more leisurely age. Van Buren County is also home to a school district of the same name, dedicated to providing preschoolers through high schoolers across the county with an anything-but-old-fashioned education. Van Buren County Community School District’s stated mission is to “provide a nurturing and challenging environment that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and a lifelong love of learning.”
"When the Chromebooks would not work, our employees would become frazzled."
Pursuing that lifelong, future-focused goal in the classroom means ensuring district operations don’t hold the school district back.
When Mindy Smith, Business Manager at Van Buren County CSD, evaluated her operational impact on the district’s future, she realized one thing immediately: the way employees clocked in and out wasn’t sustainable, and the software wasn't the problem.
A portion of Van Buren’s staff—about 70 classified employees spread across multiple school buildings, some nearly 20 miles apart—relied on Chromebooks and laptops as makeshift time clocks. Initially, it seemed like a creative, cost-effective solution. But over time, the limitations became clear.
“I saw how we might not be able to use Google’s ported devices as our time clocks,” Mindy recalls. “I thought I would reach out and try to get some information on something we can use if those are not going to be supported.”
Whenever a device failed, the impact of that hardware downtime rippled across the district.
“When the Chromebooks would not work, our employees would become frazzled,” Mindy admits with a laugh.
With limited IT time and resources spread thin across the district to troubleshoot unreliable hardware, much of that burden of fell on the business office, adding stress beyond the regular payroll workflow.
Finding a Reliable Partner in Touchpoint
That’s when Van Buren County CSD discovered Touchpoint SmartClocks. Unlike consumer devices repurposed as clocks, Touchpoint SmartClocks are purpose-built for reliable time capture in schools. Thanks to a long-standing partnership, SmartClocks integrate seamlessly with Van Buren's Frontline's Time & Attendance software, offering the durability, reliability, and ease of use the district needed.
During their demo in the Summer of 2025, Mindy immediately saw the potential. Employees could scan badges for quick, accurate punches. Installation was plug-and-play with Power-over-Ethernet and straightforward wall or table mounting. And if an issue arose, Touchpoint could remotely access the device, eliminating stressful on-site troubleshooting.
“I love the idea that your team can remote into the device instead of numerous people reaching out to me saying that the time clock won’t work,” she said.
Built to last 7–10 years and backed by free repair or replacement with White Glove Service & Support, the SmartClocks gave Van Buren confidence that they wouldn’t have to revisit this decision anytime soon.
Looking Ahead
The shift to reliable, badge-based time tracking promises peace of mind for staff and smoother operations for payroll. Fewer disruptions, less stress, and no more unnecessary trips to troubleshoot devices are just the beginning.
“If we have to go to those [buildings], that’s not just a quick trip—it’s a lengthy trip,” Mindy reflects. “Easy for employees—that’s our biggest challenge. Touchpoint solves that.”
With Touchpoint’s SmartClocks, Van Buren County CSD is taking a proactive step to future-proof payroll operations, ensuring that when Chromebook support eventually ends, the district is already prepared.
Is it time for a change at your district?
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