24 Partners and Growing
PAEC Student Data Services (SDS) was founded in 1987 as the “Gateway Student System Consortium,” originally operating with the Santa Rosa School District as fiscal agent. In 2008, PAEC assumed full responsibility for supporting the consortium’s districts as Santa Rosa transitioned to independent operations. Following this transition, PAEC began looking for a modern Student Information System (SIS) to replace the legacy mainframe. In 2011, PAEC SDS districts selected Florida-based Focus School Software as their new SIS vendor. As an early adopter of Focus (which now serves more than 75% of school districts statewide), PAEC SDS has grown steadily. Today, numerous small county school districts, developmental research schools, and charter districts across Florida continue to partner with the PAEC SDS program, recognizing the immense value of shared resources and collaborative support.
What Our Districts are Saying
“PAEC SDS is an elite team of knowledgeable and talented individuals. I could not have made it through my first year as district MIS without SDS. They were, and continue to be, a valuable part of my support system, always willing to provide guidance, answer questions, and help solve problems quickly and professionally. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to supporting districts truly make a difference.”
Jenna Chason
District MIS
Liberty County School District
“I cannot say enough good things about the SDS team. They are integral in keeping our districts data accurate and reporting it correctly. Their knowledge base is so vast and their willingness to help is unmatched. I would not be able to complete my job without their constant assistance.”
Joseph McClendon
MIS FTE Data Operator
Wakulla County Schools
“The SDS Program is constantly coming up with training, reports, help articles, etc. that help our District run smoothly. The ability to contact them with questions and issues that arise and receive help in a timely manner is invaluable.”
Ashley Barber
MIS Programming Manager
Jackson County School Board
“We absolutely could not survive without PAEC-Student Data Services. They give us what we need to overcome staff shortages, they develop for us things we would never be able to get to otherwise, and their support is provided on such a more intimate, personalized level to us that we seldom go lacking in areas where we need their expertise. In addition, one of their greatest contributions to us is the representation they provide to other agencies like FLDOE, FOCUS, and even the state legislature where we, as a single district, would not have the same voice or access.”
Phillip Byrd
MIS Coordinator
Walton County School District
“PAEC SDS has provided our district with excellent technical support. The support desk addresses any issues in a speedy and professional manner. I especially find their training webinars and training documentation invaluable.”
Marian Strohmeyer
MIS Coordinator
Florida Atlantic University Schools
“The SDS program has answered and helped me tremendously as I am a first year survey submitter. There were a lot of aspects I did not handle before in regards to assessments as well. SDS helped walk me through very clearly all the areas that I needed help with and helped me have a clear understanding.”
Cindy Carey
MIS Manager
Calhoun County School District
“The SDS Program has been a great addition for us. As a district that has been with Focus since 2014, we were looking for an elevated level of support and efficiency. We needed experience from individuals that understood our struggles as a smaller district. SDS has exceeded our expectations. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for the SDS Program and team! They are amazing!”
Jamie Crews
Director of Management Information Systems
Columbia County School District
“SDS offers a fantastic service for districts. SDS staff has a wealth of knowledge regarding FLDOE, state reporting, and FOCUS topics. The help desk, webinars, training, on-site visits, timelines and to-do lists, documentation, planning, and collaboration provided by SDS are valuable district resources.”
Kari Burgess-Watkins
Director of Instructional Technology & Information Services
Nassau County School District
