10 Best School Scheduler Software in 2026 (K-12 & Higher Ed)

Need school scheduling software? Jump to the comparison table or pick your situation:

• Single K-12 school → aSc Timetables or Prime Timetable
• Large district → Untis
• University → Rector or CELCAT
• No budget → FET (free, open source)

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Quick Comparison

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What School Scheduling Software Does

School scheduling software automates the puzzle of creating class timetables. It assigns:

• Classes to time slots across the school day
• Teachers to classes based on availability
• Rooms to classes based on capacity and equipment
• Students to sections without conflicts

Manual scheduling: Weeks of work, constant conflicts, frustrated staff.

With software: Generate working schedules in hours, zero conflicts, easy mid-year changes.

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Key Features to Look For

Essential:

• Automatic timetable generation
• Conflict detection
• Teacher/room constraints
• Schedule export and printing

Nice to have:

• Substitution management
• Student course selection
• Mobile access
• SIS integration

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10 Best School Scheduling Tools

1. Untis — Best for Large Districts

In 30 seconds: The most powerful scheduling engine, used by 25,000+ schools worldwide.

Pricing: Custom quote based on school size

Best for: Large districts with complex requirements and dedicated scheduling staff.

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2. aSc Timetables — Best for K-12 Schools

In 30 seconds: Balance of power and ease of use for individual schools.

Pricing: From $299/year for single school

Best for: K-12 schools wanting quick implementation without a steep learning curve.

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3. Lantiv — Best for Complex Requirements

In 30 seconds: Handles unusual scheduling patterns that other tools can't.

Pricing: Custom quote

Best for: Schools with non-standard schedules, rotating days, or unique constraints.

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4. PowerSchool Scheduling — Best for SIS Integration

In 30 seconds: Native integration with the leading Student Information System.

Pricing: Part of PowerSchool suite

Best for: Schools already using PowerSchool SIS who want one integrated system.

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5. Edval — Best for Daily Operations

In 30 seconds: Strong daily cover and real-time schedule changes.

Pricing: Custom quote

Best for: Schools needing flexible daily adjustments and substitution management.

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6. Schoology Scheduling — Best for LMS Users

In 30 seconds: Scheduling integrated with Schoology LMS.

Pricing: Part of Schoology suite

Best for: Schoology LMS users wanting unified experience.

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7. Prime Timetable — Best Budget Option

In 30 seconds: Solid scheduling at accessible price points.

Pricing: From $99/year

Best for: Small schools with straightforward needs and tight budgets.

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8. FET — Best Free Option

In 30 seconds: Open-source tool that's surprisingly powerful.

Pricing: Free (open source)

Best for: Schools with technical staff who want to avoid software costs.

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9. Rector — Best for Higher Education

In 30 seconds: Built specifically for university scheduling complexity.

Pricing: Custom quote

Best for: Universities and colleges with complex course catalogs.

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10. CELCAT — Best for International Universities

In 30 seconds: Multi-language university scheduling with room management.

Pricing: Custom quote

Best for: International universities needing localization.

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How to Choose (Decision Matrix)

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Implementation Checklist

Before you buy:

1. Document your schedule structure

   • Traditional periods or blocks?
   • Rotating days (A/B)?
   • How many periods per day?

2. Count your constraints

   • Teacher qualifications
   • Room requirements
   • Break periods
   • Student sections

3. Assess integration needs

   • What SIS do you use?
   • Export format requirements
   • Mobile access needed?

After you buy:

1. Clean your data

   • Teacher certifications current
   • Room capacities accurate
   • Course offerings verified

2. Start early

   • Begin 2-3 months before needed
   • Test with real data
   • Train backup staff

3. Plan for changes

   • How will you handle mid-year adjustments?
   • Who manages substitutions?

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Pricing Quick Reference

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Best Practices

During schedule creation:

• Start with hardest-to-schedule items first
• Generate multiple scenarios for comparison
• Validate with department heads before finalizing

After publication:

• Establish clear change request process
• Train staff on substitution procedures
• Document lessons learned for next year

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FAQ

How long to implement scheduling software?

Simple tools (aSc, Prime): 1-2 weeks. Enterprise (Untis): 2-3 months with training and data migration.

Free vs paid, which is better?

FET is surprisingly capable for free. Paid tools offer better support, interfaces, and integrations. If you have technical staff, try FET first.

Can scheduling software handle block scheduling?

Yes. Lantiv, Untis, and aSc all support block scheduling, rotating days, and hybrid models. Check specific product capabilities.

Should we integrate with our SIS?

Integration reduces duplicate entry. If you use PowerSchool, their scheduling is convenient. Otherwise, most tools import/export CSV which works fine.

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Communicating Schedule Changes

Once your schedule is set, you need to communicate it. For schools using social media to reach parents and students:

• Plan announcements with our Content Calendar Generator
• Create posts with our Social Media Content Generator

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Related: Best social media scheduler | Content calendar tools | Marketing automation | Content workflow software | Social media management workflow

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Need to communicate schedule changes to parents? Try SocialRails free to schedule announcements across social platforms.