Hinsdale District 86 Introduces New Communications Tools

Submitted by Hinsdale Township High School District 86.

Hinsdale Township High School District 86 today formally introduced several new communications tools and said it will continue to roll out more offerings in the coming weeks. Each of these new tools has been carefully selected with the goal of expanding not only the methods but also the reliability of the methods of communicating with families, staff and the community at large. Great consideration was given to ensure that these tools would provide the enhanced capabilities and performance while still maintaining a user-friendly experience.

“We are thrilled to introduce our community to the wealth of new communications tools they will now have at their disposal,” said District 86 Director of Communications Karen Warner. “The benefits of these tools will accomplish many objectives. From the critically important ability to reach our parents in an emergency, to fulfilling our duty to increase transparency, to facilitating the ability for all to more easily find relevant, timely information, this massive overhaul will bring District 86 communications to the level that our community deserves.”

Website

The District unveiled Phase I of its new website with a soft launch on August 12. Content continues to be added daily. The new website displays an auto-responsive design that sizes automatically to the user’s device, greatly improving functionality from smartphone to desktop. Other new features include enhanced graphics and photos, calendars that can be imported into the user’s existing calendars via iCal feed and a searchable staff directory. The content management system in the back end of the website will also help content directors manage and organize files and display dates, better enabling them to keep content accurate and fresh.

Phase II of the new website will go live in early October and will be optimized for larger screens and showcase a fully custom design.

Blackboard Connect

For Parents & Guardians

Blackboard Connect is a mass notification system that will enable District 86 to reach parents and guardians with the data they have provided to the District at registration. District 86 will use this service to send email, push notifications, automated phone calls and text messages. Parents and guardians are automatically enrolled and do not need to do anything to activate this service. Parents who do not want to receive text messages will have the opportunity to opt out when test text notifications are issued.

For Community Members

To streamline its communications processes, District 86 is eliminating is District News, Central News and South News listservs. Community members who wish to receive emails, push notifications and/or texts from District 86 and/or its schools must create a free account with Blackboard. Community members can select their preferred methods of communication when creating an account. Message and data rates may apply for text messages.

A test notification calendar will be published on the website indicating scheduled dates and times for both types of users to ensure that their data are correct.

eSchool Plus Family App

The eSchool Plus Family App will provide families with access to student information while on the go. Attendance records, grades, reminders, messages from teachers all can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, installation is scheduled for mid-September. Families can find more details about how to download this free app on the website now. Announcements will be made when the system is configured and ready to go live.

Mobile Communications App

The mobile communications app launched in May 2015 is still active and an upgrade is on the way, expected in early October. Users who have already downloaded this app will be prompted to update the app by iTunes or Google when the upgrade is available. More information will be made available when the upgrade is ready.

LiveStream – Live-Streaming Video Platform

District 86 is in the process of implementing a video platform called LiveStream. This ad-free platform will offer real-time video of events as well as immediate viewing capability after the event has ended. A video library of events will be available via the District website. The District will begin live-streaming Board of Education meetings very soon. Complete viewing information will be announced when available.

BoardDocs – Cloud-Based Service for All Board Documentation

In late September, the District will begin its implementation of BoardDocs, a cloud-based service for creating and managing board packets, agendas and policy libraries. At that time, the Board agendas and supporting documents will be moved to the BoardDocs site. This service will offer enhanced searching capability, facilitate document storage and provide greater usability for everyone from taxpayers to Board members to District Administration. Access will be available to the site via the main District webpage.