Cherokee School District Rolls Out New Parent Communication System

Staff Report

The Cherokee County School District is expanding its system for communicating with parents.

The new SchoolMessenger system allows the system to send district-level emergency and non-emergency messages to parents by email, text and automated phone call. This new system can provide a faster, more direct way for the school district to get information out quicker.

The new system is an enhancement and will not replace current communication methods. Schools will continue to send letters home and use email and text messages to share school information with parents/guardians; and the system will continue to use its website, social media and traditional media to communicate with the public.

Enhancing the district’s communication system is one of several recommendations from the Superintendent’s Ad Hoc Safety and Security Committee, made up of local law enforcement chiefs, district leaders and parents, that have been implemented in the past year. Other improvements have included the hiring of additional school police officers, the installation of more security cameras, the establishment of a front-office “panic button” system and a program this school year to pilot a new school entry door security system in the River Ridge Innovation Zone.

“Teaching and learning cannot happen effectively unless students are safe and secure,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said. “Communication is an important facet of ensuring that safety and security, and we are constantly seeking out ways to improve how we communicate with parents, especially in times of emergencies. This new system will be of great assistance in that mission.”

The new SchoolMessenger distribution system uses contact information that parents provide to their child’s school. If parents need to change or update contact information, they are asked to please call the front office of their child’s school.

If parents would like to receive text messages, they must “opt in” for that service, and directions will be provided to parents by email and a letter home. Although the Cherokee County School District does not charge parents for the service, it does not pay for text message charges that they may incur for sending or receiving text messages. Parents are asked to check with their wireless carrier for possible charges before they “opt in.”

The SchoolMessenger service costs the district about $1.35 per student per school year; the cost was incorporated into the operating portion of the 2014-15 annual budget unanimously approved by the Cherokee County School Board.