A Unified Approach to School Health & Related Services Documentation 

Background

When Genevieve Buckert arrived as the new Director of Special Education and 504 at Tuloso-Midway ISD, she stepped into a department that was ready for its next chapter. The district, serving about 3,600 students along the South Texas coast, had grown steadily over the years. With that growth came a natural need to refresh processes, modernize tools, and create systems that could support a rapidly evolving community. Her role wasn’t to critique the past but rather to help the district build on its strengths and prepare for the future.

What she found was a team deeply committed to students, working hard every day, and doing their best with the tools and systems they had. Many of those tools had been in place for years. Some methods were paper-based, others digital, some campus-specific. They made it work, but it was time to evolve.

“They brought me in to do a big overhaul of all of their systems, essentially,” she said.  This is the work. And she genuinely loves it. “Creating long-term plans and then just marking those things off the list as we go” is her idea of a good day.

Most of all, she enjoys the people. She loves to stay connected to students by sharing a quick chess match with a life skills learner, for example. She’s also passionate about her team and has focused on giving them the tools that make their work lighter and their impact stronger.

District Challenges vs. Benefits After Implementing Frontline Medicaid & Service Tracking

Challenges Before Frontline Medicaid & Service Tracking	Benefits After Implementing Frontline Medicaid & Service Management
Slow, unreliable legacy system and inconsistent documentation across campuses	More consistent, defensible documentation that strengthens compliance
Paper-based transportation logs that were easily misplaced and time-consuming	Streamlined digital workflows that reduce workload and prevent lost information
Fragmented processes and lost institutional knowledge, leaving the SHARS program in an “infant phase.”	Higher usage and revenue potential supported by Frontline’s proactive coaching and office hours

A SHARS Process Ready for Modernization

Before transitioning to Frontline, Tuloso-Midway ISD worked with another software solution vendor for Medicaid (SHARS) billing and service tracking. The system had been in place for years and had supported the district through many cycles, but as often happens with legacy tools, staff were beginning to feel the friction.

The platform sometimes ran slowly or went down at inconvenient times, making it harder for teachers and paras to log services. “I don’t want them to have to spend double time, triple time doing the same task because they already don’t have any time,” Genevieve explained. She wasn’t frustrated with the staff; she was protective of them.

Transportation logs relied heavily on paper. Drivers and monitors did their part, but the multi-step process of passing logs between people made it easy for things to get misplaced or hard to read. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. The workflow simply needed a digital anchor.

Personal care and other service documentation varied by campus because different teams had developed approaches that worked for their environments. These organic systems made sense initially; a small district adapts, and everyone finds a way to get the work done. But with growth came the natural need for more consistency.

Meanwhile, when the SHARS clerk position was vacated, those responsibilities were shifted to a staff member who already had other key duties and limited SHARS experience, which meant the district needed to rebuild that knowledge from the ground up. Genevieve described the program as being in its “infant phase” – not because anyone had done something wrong, but because the district was beginning a new cycle of learning.

Throughout all of this, one thing was clear: the staff cared deeply and worked hard. The opportunity now was to give them a system that matched that level of investment.

Choosing a Trusted Partner

The turning point began at a TCASE conference, where Genevieve heard from peers who were exploring new Medicaid billing solutions. She was already familiar with Frontline from previous districts.

“We already use so many other Frontline solutions, it felt like a one-stop shop,” she explained.

The district also needed predictability, and Frontline offered a clear, flat-fee model without extra charges layered in. “We chose Frontline because the overall cost made far more sense,” she said. “A simple flat fee without add-ons was the best budgetary decision.”

There was also trust. “I just had more faith in the Frontline company as a whole over other vendors.” Over the years she had seen consistent support, strong follow-through, and teams who stayed with a problem until it was solved.

Even during a deficit budget year, the district CFO agreed the investment made sense. The relationship between departments was strong enough that collaboration came naturally.

Implementing During a Season of Big Transitions

Frontline Medicaid and Service Management launched while Tuloso-Midway ISD was simultaneously shifting to a new student information system and implementing a new plan management (IEP) solution. Teachers were learning a lot all at once, which is a reality in many districts navigating modernization.

Still, implementation went smoothly thanks to Frontline’s service team. “Our implementation specialist was just lovely, just absolutely lovely,” she said. He guided them through each setup step, stayed longer than needed to make sure everything worked, and handled much of the configuration so her team wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

Gradually Strengthening Usage and Confidence

A few months into implementation, Frontline’s SHARS team reviewed Tuloso-Midway ISD’s early data and came back with a plan to help boost usage. “We’re not getting the revenue we need. Here’s my plan,” her implementation specialist told her. Genevieve lit up describing that moment. “That’s a good plan! I didn’t have to figure out how to do it myself.”

Frontline established office hours: small, supportive sessions where staff could log in, ask questions, and get help on the spot. Genevieve required attendance by her team to make sure everyone had what they needed.

The district is still early in its journey. Staff are learning a new workflow, sometimes needing reassurance, sometimes leaning on familiar habits, but progress is steady. Contractors such as OTs and PTs have embraced the system, and their consistency is helping others gain confidence.

Genevieve views this as a multi-year process, not an overnight shift:

• Year 1: “Here’s how to do it.”
• Year 2: “You need to do it.”
• Mid-Year 2 or Year 3: “No, you have to do it.”

Her approach is patient, encouraging, and rooted in respect for the people doing the work.

Early Wins and Clear Momentum

Staff is still learning, but the foundation is forming. Documentation is becoming more consistent, helping strengthen compliance and increasing revenue. Frontline’s flat-fee structure has already reduced stress for the business office. And service tracking is moving toward the level of reliability the district needs.

Most importantly, Genevieve sees a system that supports strong, defensible documentation - something she values deeply.

A Partnership That Feels Personal

Frontline’s customer service is area that stands out for Genevieve.

“Frontline’s customer service and willingness to problem solve is remarkable,” she said. “You really do set a high standard simply for customer service and problem solving at Frontline”

It wasn’t just one person. It was everyone she interacted with. “Your responses are similar, if that makes sense,” she said. “Not scripted but grounded in the same approach to care.”

 What She Would Tell Other Districts

If another director asked for advice, Genevieve would keep it real but encouraging:

• Don’t switch too many systems at once unless you absolutely have to
• Break training into smaller pieces
• Give staff time to adjust
• Choose a vendor who feels like a partner not just a platform

And she’d offer the recommendation she stands behind wholeheartedly: “If there’s a solution through Frontline, you need to use it.”

Looking Forward

Tuloso-Midway ISD also utilizes Frontline Special Program Management for their for IEP Plan Management and her long-term vision is simple and strong: a seamless ecosystem where all providers document services for all students, where progress reports flow naturally from daily logs, and where SHARS is not a burden but a natural extension of good instructional practice. 

And in the middle of that vision is a team she trusts, a community she respects, and a partner helping to move everything forward: one step, one training, one improvement at a time.