07-04-2025
$10 Million Mistake: Hillsborough eyes legal action as Synergy fallout continues
TAMPA, Fla. (BLOOM) — Hillsborough County Public Schools approved a new student information system in hopes of ending months of turmoil caused by its $10 million Synergy rollout. A software failure that board members now say could lead to legal action.
On Dec. 2, the school board voted to spend $600,000 to begin implementing Focus, a platform used by 49 other Florida districts. The board also approved $750,000 for outside consultants to help manage the transition, citing widespread frustrations from teachers, administrators, and staff who have struggled with Synergy since it launched in summer 2024.
'We are not a bank,' said board member Karen Perez. 'You will not come here and sell us a program that does not work and take our money without some ramifications.'
Hillsborough Schools face major challenges with $8.5 million software rollout
District officials initially hoped Synergy, developed by Edupoint, would modernize Hillsborough's 30-year-old internal systems. Instead, it created errors in attendance tracking, scheduling, and even student transcripts — with some seniors falsely flagged as not on track to graduate.
Despite months of attempted fixes, teachers were still reverting to paper records and scrambling to navigate a system many described as 'unusable.' Board members, union leaders, and IT staff alike described the implementation as a crisis that disrupted day-to-day education and risked compliance with federal reporting standards.
Though Focus is expected to be easier to use, the district will still need to pay for Synergy through 2025. Meanwhile, Focus is set to launch in phases, which started with scheduling tools in January 2025.
The shift means Hillsborough will be paying for two systems meant to do the same job — a point of frustration among board members who questioned how the district ended up in this situation in the first place.
The district also acknowledged internal missteps, including the decision to dismantle its project management office around the time Synergy was first purchased. Without that infrastructure, the rollout lacked proper oversight, which is a mistake Superintendent Van Ayres said won't be repeated with Focus.
'We cannot get this wrong,' Ayres told board members.
Several board members have now openly called for legal action to recover the millions spent on Synergy. Though no formal litigation has been announced, discussions are reportedly underway regarding the viability of pursuing reimbursement or penalties for nonperformance.
While only one other Florida district (Clay County) uses Synergy, Focus has become the preferred system for major districts across the state — including Miami-Dade, Pinellas, Pasco, and Palm Beach.
The transition to Focus is now being supported by the tech consulting firm MGT, which the board brought on in October to triage Synergy's issues and help guide future implementations.
Still, questions remain about the district's ability to effectively train staff and manage new technology. Especially given its recent history.
Synergy will remain in place through the end of the school year, with Focus expected to fully replace it by August 2025. In the meantime, the district says it is prioritizing communication and staff readiness.
If Focus succeeds, the district may finally move past a costly chapter in its technological evolution. But if the rollout stumbles again, Hillsborough could face deeper trust issues — and legal fallout that extends beyond software.
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