How to Design a Multi-Tenant School System

Multi-tenancy is not just adding a `tenantId` column. It is a security and data architecture decision.

Tenant isolation strategies

- Shared database, shared schema — cost-effective, requires strict query scoping - Schema per tenant — stronger isolation, more operational overhead - Database per tenant — maximum isolation, highest complexity

For school SaaS at early scale, shared schema with tenant-scoped queries is often the right balance.

Role-based access

Define roles early: super admin, school admin, teacher, parent. Map permissions to routes and API endpoints — not just UI visibility.

Model relationships carefully

Students belong to schools. Classes belong to terms. Fees link to enrollments. Getting these relationships right early saves painful migrations later.