Think your paper-based K-12 records management system is free? Think again! The cost of paper records far outweighs the costs associated with digital records. Let’s take a look at how much more you’re really paying for those paper records in comparison to using an electronic K-12 records management solution.

Hidden Costs of Paper-Based Records

Many districts make the mistake of thinking their paper-based storage solutions are free since they aren’t paying a monthly fee to a company and don’t require any associated technical support services for their filing system. There are many “hidden costs” to your paper-based system that you may be overlooking in your cost comparison. For example, you need paper, ink, physical files to store the documents in, file cabinets, paper clips, staples, and printers. It costs over $2.50 in supplies to create a single record and about $20 in labor costs to create and file each paper record.

In a New York Department of Education study, it was found the average cumulative student file contains 75 pages. If your district has 5,000 students, you’re looking at 375,000 pages! Consider how many times your student files are copied, on top of that. For special education students, the average file is 300 pages. That’s a lot of paper, ink, files, and physical storage space needed to maintain the records.

K-12 Records Management Maintenance Costs

In addition to the physical materials needed to maintain your paper-based system, the labor costs of maintaining your K-12 records management system are higher with paper-based filing than with digital solutions. Think about the process of retrieving information from student files. First, the physical file folder must be located in your file cabinets. Even if the file was correctly filed, it takes 8 times longer to locate paper files in filing cabinets compared to digital storage. Then, if the file happens to be misfiled, you’ll spend an average of $120 in labor costs while a staff member plays detective and tries to locate the missing file.

Environmental Costs of Paper Records

None of these expenses have taken into consideration the environmental costs of all of that paper, either!  A mature tree produces 20,000 pages of paper. In a district with 5,000 students averaging 375,000 pages copied 2.5 times annually, your average paper usage is 937,500 pages per year! With these numbers, you’re looking at well over 47 trees to supply your record needs, and over 20 trees per year to maintain your K-12 records management system.

Save Time and Money with a Cloud-Based Records Management System

YellowFolder has a digital record management solution specifically designed for K-12 records management needs: from student records, human resources, administrative record management, and special education records. Keep your records secure, easily accessible, and reduce the costs of your K-12 records management with YellowFolder.