Discover how Lubbock-Cooper ISD saved thousands annually by using ArbiterPay to automate payments for 1099 workers and streamline W-9 compliance, reducing administrative workload across the district.
Lubbock-Cooper High School, located in Lubbock, Texas, is part of the second fastest growing school district in the state. The district uses Arbiter Pay not only for its 5A athletic program but for all 1099 workers across the district, managing payments efficiently for both athletic and non-athletic staff. The high school began using Arbiter in 2016 and has expanded its use of the platform district-wide.
ARBITER PAY IS A HUGE MONEY SAVER because we don’t have to cut individual checks anymore. With Arbiter we can pay dozens of 1099 workers district-wide each week electronically, saving on postage and eliminating the hassle of tracking each payment. Additionally, Arbiter Game has streamlined our event management, making a huge difference across all our programs.”
— MAX KATTWINKEL | ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
The Situation
Managing payments for Lubbock-Cooper High School’s athletic programs—and the district as a whole—became time-consuming, expensive, and burdensome. The district relied heavily on their Central Office to process the payments for dozens of 1099 workers, including officials, event staff, and other independent contractors. The manual process of cutting individual checks, paying for postage, and tracking payments created significant administrative strain. Additionally, verifying W-9 information and sending required tax documents for all contract workers added to the workload.
The Arbiter Solution
When the district adopted Arbiter products, Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Max Kattwinkel began using the Payments and Scheduling solutions to streamline the athletic department. Since then, Lubbock-Cooper has expanded Arbiter Pay’s use district-wide, covering payments for all 1099 workers, not just athletic event staff. The platform allows for immediate, secure electronic payments to officials, event staff, and other contract workers, removing the burden from their Central Office. This district-wide approach has saved thousands of dollars annually in postage and check-cutting fees. Arbiter also manages the entire W-9 process for all contract workers, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws while reducing the administrative workload significantly.
The Future is Bright Working with Arbiter
Lubbock-Cooper now uses Arbiter Pay for more than just athletic event workers. The district has expanded the platform to cover payments for all 1099 workers, including those who work after-hours events, non-athletic staff, and other independent contractors. This has reduced the workload on the payroll department and allowed all workers to get paid faster. Moving forward, the district plans to continue expanding its use of Arbiter to streamline additional tasks like transportation, ticket sales, and providing parents with a more comprehensive view of all school programs—not just athletics. Arbiter’s district-wide impact continues to grow as more departments adopt the platform.
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