A brief history
The school software project was originally started years ago when my former partner, Melvin Ray Herr taught school. He developed two products for teachers: Gradebook 6 and Teacher’s Timesaver. As time went on, he envisioned a software package that could support and manage an entire school.
In 2018, when I (Micah) became interested in software development, he combined the opportunity to teach with his dream of developing a school package. The combination worked very well, and in 2020, we officially grouped as Olive Tree Software, LLC. With both of us working for ABC Systems developing accounting software, we were able to work part-time for Olive Tree, reducing costs significantly.
Four years later, in 2024, I no longer work for ABC Systems and have transitioned into the agricultural industry. Melvin Ray is now CEO of ABC Software and is busy with his new responsibilities.
Upcoming changes
Considering his new responsibilities at ABC Software, Melvin Ray has left the partnership.
- Recently, we upgraded several portions of Candle to increase its speed and reliability.
- The Candle server has moved to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania where it is being serviced by a dedicated tier-2 fiber connection. The servers, hard drives and software have also been updated.
- I appreciate the forbearance of some of you who recently experienced slowdowns during the migration.
- We are now using Odoo as our ERP and website. Once your account has been created, we will link your account, and you should be able to see your license keys.
- We plan to release a mobile app for patrons over the summer of 2025. Stay tuned for updates!
- We will be discontinuing updates to the desktop installer. However, we plan to continue supporting it.
Pricing updates
To make the product sustainable and able to continue, we are introducing a new pricing plan:
- Gradebook will move from $35 yearly to $95. (7+ users, $70 each)
- The Health and Library modules will also both move to $100.
- The broadcasting system will move to $120. This will be a flat fee for unlimited phone calls, text messages and emails.
- Hosting will be billed in 3 segments: $100 yearly for up to 5 users, $150 yearly for up to 10 users and $200 yearly for up to 20 users.
A word on support
We will now be billing Candle support for $80 per hour, billed in 15-minute segments.
To lower your ongoing support cost, we provide a user’s manual on our website. This is helpful for a range of questions, from getting started, to everyday questions, to advanced configurations for your school administrator.