SchoolGrid

SchoolGrid is a browser-based master-scheduling app for elementary schools, aimed at principals, office managers, instructional coaches, and staff responsible for support coverage. It is strongest when a school needs constraint-aware drafts and clear review tools in one place; its free offering is primarily an evaluation, so ongoing use generally means a paid plan.

Overview

SchoolGrid brings classrooms, specialists, interventions, lunch, recess, instructional minutes, and paraeducator coverage into a single scheduling workflow. Its automatic timetable builder uses configured school, teacher, and room constraints to produce a draft, while conflict detection flags clashes for human review. That division of labor is sensible: the software handles an otherwise tedious first pass, but school staff retain control over revisions and final decisions.

The service is deliberately not a student-record system. It says it does not request student names, rosters, grades, or student accounts and is not designed to hold student records. SchoolGrid also says it does not sell or rent personal information, use advertising trackers, or use schedule data except to provide the service. Passwords use PBKDF2 one-way hashing, connections use HTTPS, and Stripe handles payment details under PCI-DSS certification. Those practices reduce exposure for a scheduling tool, although each school remains responsible for its own data policies.

Key features

Timeline, Agenda, and Calendar views let staff inspect the same schedule at different levels of detail. Timeline is suited to scanning the day’s structure, while Agenda and Calendar provide alternative ways to review assignments and timing before publication. PDF and CSV export support printing, sharing, or further spreadsheet work.

Publishing can send schedule files to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Google Drive uses the drive.file permission, and OneDrive uses Files.ReadWrite.AppFolder, keeping the connection scoped to the app’s file area rather than requiring broad drive access. Roster import and export are included on paid plans.

Schedule Transfer is a practical upgrade for schools with existing materials: Plus and Pro can use monthly setup credits to turn related spreadsheets or PDFs into a reviewable schedule proposal. It is not unlimited conversion, so schools with frequent timetable changes should compare the credit allowance with their workflow.

Pricing

Free is useful for a month-long evaluation, but its 15-draft ceiling and missing para coverage make it unsuitable as a permanent no-cost operating plan. Plus is the economical choice for one site that needs the full scheduling and publishing workflow, though it still caps drafts at 15 and transfer credits at five per month. Pro earns its higher annual price for multi-site organizations, teams that iterate beyond 15 drafts, or administrators who need onboarding and prioritized support.

Platforms

SchoolGrid runs at app.schoolgrid.app in a web browser and requires no installation. Its browser delivery suits mixed-device school offices; a dedicated desktop or mobile application is not part of the offering.

Who it's for

SchoolGrid is tailored to elementary principals, assistant principals, office managers, instructional coaches, and support-staff leads coordinating a complex school day. It is a particularly good fit when paraeducator or student-support coverage must be considered alongside rooms, specialists, and instructional minutes. Schools managing several sites should start with Pro; a single elementary campus with modest revision needs can use Plus. Organizations seeking a continuing free service, or a system intended to store student records, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Constraint-based automatic drafts reduce manual timetable assembly.
• Pros: Conflict detection plus teacher and room constraints support realistic school scheduling.
• Pros: Para coverage, student-support scheduling, exports, and cloud-drive publishing address operational handoff.
• Pros: The product minimizes student-data exposure and uses HTTPS, PBKDF2 hashing, and PCI-DSS-certified payment processing.
• Cons: The Free plan expires as a 30-day evaluation and excludes para coverage and transfer credits.
• Cons: Plus allows only 15 drafts and five monthly transfer credits, which may constrain heavily iterative schools.
• Cons: Multi-site use and unlimited drafting require the $499-per-year Pro plan.

Alternatives

The School Scheduling Software directory is a useful starting point for comparing broader scheduling choices. Choose Peñalara GHC instead if you need Android, iOS, Windows, and web coverage alongside a freemium model. Prime Timetable suits readers wanting a cross-platform timetable tool with a 30-day trial and a free evaluation plan.

FET is the better fit for a fully free desktop option on Linux, macOS, or Windows, while UniTime is preferable when open-source deployment, APIs, or self-hosting matter. GC Education Analytics K–12 Master Scheduler is an alternative web scheduler with a free beta spanning elementary, middle, and high school. Choose Tes Timetable, Ad Astra, or Cardonex Schedule when their paid offerings better match your procurement requirements.

Verdict

Choose SchoolGrid if you run an elementary school and want automatic, constraint-aware timetable drafts with review views, para coverage, exports, and cloud publishing. Plus is the sensible single-site plan; Pro is justified by multiple sites, unlimited drafts, or guided onboarding. Look elsewhere if you need an ongoing free plan, a non-browser application, or a platform designed to retain student records.