Success Stories / The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154

— The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154 — The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154 — The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154

— The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154

How the PTA of PS 154 improved registration efficiency by 70% with Amilia

70% increase in registration efficiency

50% reduction in manual enrollment corrections and adjustments

15% of families better supported through improved accessibility

“With Amilia, registration is no longer overwhelming. The time-protected shopping cart gives parents confidence that their selections are secure. That alone reduced our registration emails by about 70%.”

Barbara McGouran Executive Director, PTA of PS 154

Alexandr podvalny Tciu Hvwo K0k unsplash

Program scale at a glance:

400

students enrolled at the school

320

participate in the after-school program annually

175

students attend the after-school program on any given day

About the PTA of PS 154

The after-school program at PS 154, organized by the Parent-Teacher Association, provides care for students from kindergarten through 5th grade students.

The program is designed to offer a safe, structured, and nurturing environment where students can participate in activities that support their social, emotional, cognitive, and artistic development.

Operating a high-volume after-school program

Before Amilia, registration periods were highly competitive for parents and difficult to manage for staff.

Key pain points:
•    Programs filled within minutes, with waitlists up to 20 students per club
•    Families registering multiple children had to complete separate transactions
•    No time-protected cart—selections could disappear before checkout
•    Parents often over-registered to secure spots, then requested changes

Operational impact:
•    ~100 manual enrollment adjustments per cycle (refunds, schedule changes)
•    Manual billing reviews and payment tracking
•    Staff follow-ups on declined or outstanding payments

The system functioned—but required heavy manual intervention during peak periods.

The solution: structured automation with Amilia

To improve scalability and eliminate manual rework, the PTA implemented Amilia.

Amilia introduced:
•    A 15-minute time-protected shopping cart
•    Multi-child checkout in a single transaction
•    The Favorites feature allowing program pre-selection
•    A structured waitlist management system
•    Flexible payment options and billing automation
•    Bilingual platform (English and French)

“The Amilia team guided us through every step of the transition. Their support made the process smooth and built real confidence and trust on our side.”
Barbara McGouran, Executive Director, PTA of PS 154

The results

Registration efficiency improved by 70%

Amilia’s self-service capabilities dramatically reduced reactive support during peak enrollment periods.

Impact:
•    ~70% reduction in registration-related emails
•    Faster, more stable registration cycles
•    Less reactive support required from staff

The combination of the time-protected cart and Favorites feature allowed families to prepare in advance and complete checkout confidently.

“With Amilia, registration is no longer overwhelming. The time-protected shopping cart gives parents confidence that their selections are secure. That alone reduced our registration emails by about 70%.”
Barbara McGouran, Executive Director, PTA of PS 154

Enrollment corrections reduced by 50%

Amilia’s structured workflows and system safeguards minimized common registration errors.

Impact:
•    ~50% reduction in enrollment corrections
•    Fewer refunds and schedule adjustments
•    Less administrative rework

“Amilia’s structure eliminated many of the issues that used to require manual corrections. Our enrollment adjustments were cut by 50% because the system now handles much of that work automatically.”
Barbara McGouran, Executive Director, PTA of PS 154

Flexible payment options and billing automation reflect family realities

For many families, after-school programming represents both an essential service and a meaningful financial commitment.

Key benefits:
•    Installment plans aligned with household budgeting
•    Automated payment retries and notifications
•    Secure e-check option alongside credit cards

Operational outcomes:
•    Elimination of monthly manual billing oversight
•    Fewer declined payment follow-ups
•    Significant reduction in year-end outstanding balances

“With Amilia, billing runs much more smoothly. We don’t have to manually track payments the way we used to, and we end the year with far fewer outstanding balances. That’s a major improvement for us.”
Barbara McGouran, Executive Director, PTA of PS 154

Reclaiming time for high-impact work

Amilia didn’t just reduce workload—it created a more stable, scalable operation that better supports both staff and families.

As a result:

Administrative workload was significantly reduced through automation
Registration became more predictable and easier to manage at scale
Staff time was redirected toward program quality and family engagement
More personalized support is now possible for families—especially the ~15% who require additional assistance due to language or technology barriers

About Amilia

Amilia helps after-school programs like the PTA of PS 154 streamline operations, support staff, and deliver a more seamless experience for families through modern registration, billing, and self-service technology.

If you are interested to learn how Amilia could help you and your organization succeed like it helped The Parent-Teacher Association of PS 154, just reach out to our team. We would be happy to discuss it with you!