Surrounded by four acres of woodland, Birches School reimagines what education can be when curiosity leads. Through inquiry-driven learning, students think deeply, explore boldly, and grow into compassionate individuals connected to the world around them.

Central to Birches' mission is making this transformative education accessible to more families. That meant their operational systems had to remove barriers, not create them.

Replacing Rigid Systems with Financial & Operational Control

“In the past three years, we’ve had hands-on experience with three different contract products,” explained Michael Whyte, Director of Finance & Controller at Birches School.

“We realized how clunky and rigid our previous products were compared to the flexibility and control we get with Clarity,” he continued.

“It seems like such a simple thing, but we couldn't even set the number of signatures we needed on a contract,” Whyte shared. “We were stuck with rigid templates, inflexible payment schedules, and generic messaging. Just accommodating normal family requests required manual workarounds and extra staff time.” 

“With Clarity, we have direct control. We can customize contracts, adjust payment plans in real-time, and amend agreements ourselves. There are no support tickets and no more workarounds."

Reducing Friction to Accelerate Cash Flow

“We want an acceptance to our school to feel like a big warm hug, not an instruction meeting,” shared Whyte. 

“Instead of families emailing us with questions about how to complete their contract, now they're just emailing to say thank you for making it so easy.” 

“Clarity makes understanding, signing, and paying so simple for our families, we are getting contracts completed and deposits paid quicker.”

That simplicity for families has also translated into meaningful operational efficiencies for the Birches team.

“Administratively, this used to be a two-person job. Now with Clarity, there are so few calls coming in that I handle it myself,” Whyte explained. 

“The difference is stark. When a family wanted to pay in one installment last year, it meant frustrating customer support calls and navigating backend workarounds. This year it took me a few clicks and they were all set to pay,” he continued.

"Switching to Clarity has allowed us to reduce the overall payroll hours we dedicate to administrative processes. That's translated into both financial savings and the ability to redirect staff toward higher-value work."

Right-Sizing Financial Aid to Expand Access Sustainably

The Clarity platform's flexibility extends throughout the enrollment journey. Having already streamlined their financial aid process with Clarity, Birches saw the same efficiency carry through to contracts, with awards automatically populating.

"We finalize the financial aid and it just appears in our contracts," Whyte said. "When we had our first aid appeal, the system was so intuitive I just had to indicate that it was an appeal, everything was adjusted, and the amendment was built for me automatically," he continued.

The simplified financial aid process also removed an early barrier. "Some families would leave rather than navigate a long financial aid process," explained Whyte. "Making it simpler has opened the door for us to at least have a conversation, and we've moved from 32% of families receiving aid to 43%."

"You're really able to get a whole picture of a family's financial situation with Clarity," Whyte shared. "That helps us make more informed, equitable decisions.” 

“When you have limited aid resources, Clarity helps you make more precise decisions. This year, that's translated into real savings and stronger support for families who need it most."

"When your mission is to expand access, your systems can't get in the way. By simplifying our financial interactions, we've opened doors for families who might have been frustrated by or gotten lost in a more complicated process. That's changed the diversity of our community.”