Laserfiche

🗂️ What Is Laserfiche?

Laserfiche is the district’s document management and digital records system. It allows staff to scan, store, organize, and securely access documents electronically instead of keeping paper files. Think of it as a digital filing cabinet—where records are easy to find, share, and protect—all in one place.

Laserfiche is used throughout the district to streamline workflows, reduce paper use, and improve efficiency in managing student records, HR files, financial forms, and other important documents.

💡 Why It’s Useful

Centralized Document Storage: Keep all district records in one secure, searchable location instead of filing cabinets or local drives.
Improved Organization: Store documents in structured folders or by metadata (like student names, employee IDs, or dates) for quick retrieval.
Searchable Content: Find files instantly using keywords, even inside scanned documents—Laserfiche recognizes text through OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
Secure Access Control: Ensure that only authorized staff can view or edit sensitive files, helping maintain compliance with privacy policies and record retention rules.
Workflow Automation: Automate approval processes (like purchase requests or HR onboarding) to save time and reduce manual handling.
Paperless Efficiency: Digitize older records and incoming paperwork, cutting down on printing, storage, and mailing costs.
Integration with Other Systems: Works alongside district tools such as Aeries, Google Workspace, and email for smoother information management.

🧭 When to Use It

When you need to store, locate, or share official district records securely.
When processing forms or approvals that can be automated through Laserfiche workflows.
When converting paper-based archives into digital formats for easier access and long-term storage.
When ensuring compliance with retention schedules and privacy requirements for student or staff data.

⚙️ Key Benefits at a Glance

Feature

Document Scanning & Storage

Full-Text Search (OCR)

Secure Permissions

Workflow Automation

Audit Trails

What It Does

Digitizes paper files into organized folders

Finds information within scanned PDFs

Controls who can access or edit files

Routes documents for approval automatically

Tracks activity on files

Why It Matters

Frees up office space and improves access

Saves time when locating specific records

Protects sensitive student and employee data

Speeds up internal processes

Supports transparency and accountability

🧾 Laserfiche Best Practices

To keep Laserfiche organized, consistent, and easy to navigate, it’s important that all school sites follow a few simple best practices when uploading, naming, and managing documents. These habits help ensure that files remain secure, searchable, and easy to locate for everyone who needs them.

🗂️ 1. Use Clear and Consistent File Names

A clear naming convention makes it easier to find documents quickly. Avoid vague names like “form1.pdf” or “scan123.jpg.”
Recommended format:
[Student Last Name][First Name][Document Type]_[Year]
Example: Johnson_Emily_Registration_2025

If the file isn’t student-related, use department-based names like:
Attendance_Report_April2025 or Staff_SignIn_Sheet_Sep2025

📁 2. Organize Files into the Correct Folders

Upload documents into the appropriate folder or category (e.g., Enrollment, Attendance, Cumulative Records, Discipline, Staff, etc.).
Keeping folders organized ensures district departments can locate information without confusion or duplication.

🔍 3. Verify OCR and Searchability

When scanning documents, make sure text recognition (OCR) is enabled. This allows the system to read the text inside PDFs, making them searchable by name, date, or keyword.
If a document is not searchable, try re-scanning with OCR enabled or saving it as a readable PDF.

🔒 4. Protect Sensitive Information

Always review documents before uploading to ensure no unnecessary personal or confidential data is visible.
Laserfiche access is controlled by permissions, but privacy begins with careful handling—especially for student records, IEPs, or HR forms.

🧹 5. Avoid Duplicate Uploads

Before scanning or uploading, search Laserfiche to see if the document already exists. Duplicates can clutter the system and create confusion during record searches.

✍️ 6. Add Metadata When Possible

Some folders may include metadata fields (like Student ID, Document Type, or School Year).
Filling these out improves search results and ensures your documents appear in the correct reports and filters.

🕒 7. Follow Retention and Archiving Guidelines

Keep only what’s necessary and archive records according to district retention schedules. Outdated or duplicate records can be archived or deleted in compliance with district policy.