We decided to build TISA MAX while serving a school client shortly after the rollout of TISA. We realized that being exceptionally thorough in matching for Direct Certification is very difficult and yet very important in Tennessee. We had been slowly and continually improving our algorithm for this client over 6 months when we realized the desire to solve this computational problem once and for all—and serve the entire state. The roll out of TISA has significantly changed the funding landscape, and Direct Certification is no longer a way to help students qualify for free- or reduced-price school lunches—it is central to the funding formula for any district serving a significant population of economically disadvantaged students.

As former educators, we care about school funding because we know the tradeoffs that each district must make and the difference that additional funds can make in terms of new buildings, maintenance of existing buildings, salaries, supplies, copiers. We truly enjoy helping schools and districts maximize their TISA funding by claiming what is allocated by the law but not easily found without technical matching wizardry. We know how important resources are to teachers and students, and it’s our joy to help schools find the matches they are currently missing.

Now two years into the development of TISA MAX the algorithm is now far beyond what we initially thought was possible. Even when a small tweak leads to 0.1% additional matches, it makes sense to labor over this tweak when it could mean millions unlocked for serving students statewide.