Our History. Our Story.
In the early 2000s, a high school teacher juggling classroom instruction and administrative responsibilities found himself frustrated by how difficult it was to communicate digitally with families and the broader school community. At the same time, a group of special education professionals were building a process management system to serve students with unique learning needs … something flexible enough to work across school districts of all sizes.
What they shared was a belief that K-12 education deserved more than one-size-fits-all software. It needed solutions built by people who understood the rhythm of the school day, the complexity of district needs, and the weight of educational responsibility.
Those early innovations - one a communication platform and the other a special education forms tool - grew organically.
The first Content Management System (CMS) allowed educators to build and update web content without needing to code. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) tool simplified forms management to meet real compliance needs in real school buildings. As neighboring schools took notice, these solutions spread by word of mouth, powered by educator feedback, and refined in partnership with Wisconsin school districts.
By 2005, CESA 6, an education service agency in Wisconsin, recognized the power of what had been built, and in 2010, 4Schools was officially launched as a software center dedicated to education - for schools.
Today, 4Schools remains educator-designed, educator-tested, and educator-driven. Our CMS4Schools and IEP4Schools platforms continue to serve districts across the Midwest and beyond, leading communications practices, improving efficiency, and supporting student services with software that’s designed to work in real schools.
We’re proud to say that we’re still a nonprofit agency. We’re not chasing investors and pleasing shareholders - we’re focused on impact. Every update, feature, and enhancement is rooted in feedback from the educators we serve. Together, we’re building better systems to support student success.
