Toggle columns to compare self-service tools vs. consultant-led planning.
| Dimension | SchoolSite Locator | SchoolSite Pro | SchoolSite Suite (Locator + Pro) | MGT Expert Planning Services (Consultant-led) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Primary purpose
|
Public “What’s my school?” lookup that lets families self-serve school assignments and reduces boundary calls. | Professional planning tool to build forecasts, scenarios, and redistricting plans inside ArcGIS Pro. | Unified boundary management platform: internal planning + public-facing assignments in one ecosystem. | Full-service engagement where MGT consultants lead the analysis, forecasting, boundary scenario design, and recommendations. |
|
Intended audience (buyer)
|
District leadership, communications/enrollment teams, IT/web—anyone focused on parent experience and call reduction. | Planning, facilities, demography, research, and strategy teams with the capacity to own GIS workflows. | Cabinet-level leaders who want both public-facing and internal planning tools under one vendor/stack. | Superintendents, boards, and cabinet leaders who want expert-led planning, third-party validation, and political cover rather than building in-house GIS capacity. |
|
Typical end users
|
Parents/guardians, school office staff, registrars, realtors, and the general public. | GIS analysts, demographers, planners, data-savvy leaders. | Combination of public users (families) and internal planning staff. | MGT consultants as primary “doers”; district leaders, boards, and communities consume the maps, reports, and recommendations. |
|
Core functionality / deliverable
|
Address or map search → shows assigned schools, boundaries, and related info in a web map. | Tools to forecast enrollment, draw/edit boundaries, model capacity, compare scenarios, and export maps/reports. | Shared, consistent boundaries from planning through to the public locator; easy publishing of approved plans. | End-to-end consulting: data intake/cleanup, enrollment projections, utilization/capacity analysis, multiple boundary scenarios, equity/impact analysis, and final recommendations/deliverables. |
|
Where it lives in the workflow
|
Embedded on the district website / parent portal as a 24/7 self-service tool. | Inside the district’s desktop GIS (ArcGIS Pro) as part of ongoing planning and analysis. | Internal work happens in Pro; once approved, boundaries are pushed into Locator for public communication. | Primarily in project cycles: MGT runs the analysis, collaborates in work sessions, supports community engagement, and hands off final plans and tools. |
|
Technical platform / requirements
|
Hosted web app; district provides boundary data and branding; minimal IT support after go-live. | ArcGIS Pro on Windows + licenses and data; requires internal GIS/data management practices. | Mix of hosted (Locator) + on-prem/desktop (Pro) with agreed processes for keeping them in sync. | Minimal technical lift: secure data sharing with MGT; MGT can use its own tool stack (often including SchoolSite Pro) so districts don’t have to stand up or learn GIS. |
|
Ownership of GIS workflow
|
MGT manages the app; district owns data updates/approvals but not the underlying GIS tooling. | District owns GIS workflows: data prep, scenario building, analysis, and maintenance. | Shared: district owns GIS workflows (Pro) and MGT hosts the public locator and integration. | MGT owns and operates the GIS workflows for the engagement; district reviews and approves options rather than building the workflows itself. |
|
Training / skills needed
|
None for families; light orientation for staff (how to use and explain the map). | Moderate–high: ArcGIS Pro skills and understanding of enrollment/facilities planning. | Two tiers: no training for the public; formal training and governance for internal Pro users. | Very low: district staff need only enough understanding to interpret results and participate in decision-making; MGT brings the technical and planning expertise. |
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Pricing model (high level)
|
Annual SaaS subscription for hosting, maintenance, and support. | Annual software license (plus Esri stack) sized to enrollment and use case. | Bundled pricing for Locator + Pro; typically more efficient than buying disparate tools. | Project- or retainer-based professional services; higher per-project cost than software alone but includes expert time, facilitation, and deliverables. |
|
Primary value proposition
|
Reduce boundary-related inquiries, improve family experience, and ensure consistent, accurate assignment information. | Empower districts to be self-sufficient in boundary planning and enrollment analysis with strong GIS tooling. | Create a single source of truth from internal planning to public communication; smoother, more transparent boundary changes. | Maximize confidence and capacity: expert-led analysis, politically defensible recommendations, and bandwidth for districts that can’t (or don’t want to) build deep in-house GIS capabilities. |
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Best-fit scenarios
|
Any district wanting a fast, visible customer-service win, even without internal planning staff. | Districts with GIS/planning capacity doing frequent projections, redistricting, or facilities planning. | Districts that treat boundary management as an ongoing strategic function and want integrated tools for both inside and outside audiences. | Districts with limited GIS capacity, high-stakes or controversial boundary changes, tight timelines, or a desire for third-party validation/neutral facilitation. |