School Districts Use Social Media to Spread Message of Snow Days

Parents of kids in the took to Facebook to vent frustrations about snow days this week.

The district has used its Facebook page as one way to communicate information about school closures. But, as other districts started calling off school Thursday, parents wanted to know why St. Charles School District hadn’t yet.

“Do we know about Thursday yet?” one person wrote on the district's Facebook wall. “My street hasn’t been touched.”

Others asked the district to make a quick call in one direction or the other so they could make arrangements for work. The announcement--no school Thursday--was posted the district’s Facebook page around 8:30 p.m., but not before the discussion got heated.

As school districts create a presence on social media sites, the pages have become places for parents to instantly communicate with and get instant feedback from the district. The snow days this week highlighted benefits and drawbacks of this method. 

Parents turned to the Francis Howell School District’s Facebook page Monday for information about a snow day Tuesday when the district website failed to load temporarily. The district doesn’t have an automated system that calls parents and guardians to alert them that school is called off.

"Traffic (to the website) for snow days is very heavy, so yeah, it takes awhile to load,” said Jennifer Henry, district spokesperson. “That’s one of the reasons we’re trying to draw people to Facebook and Twitter, so they can get that information in a timely manner. Sometimes there’s so much traffic on the site, I can’t get in to update it.”

But district pages on social media sites sometimes turn into a “complaints” forum as people begin expressing their opinions on whether school should be in session.

After receiving more than 100 weather-related comments, Charles Brazeale, director of instructional technology for the St. Charles School District, posted a reminder about Facebook user guidelines, urging people to “play nice.”

Brazeale said that the number of people who follow the St. Charles School District’s Facebook page has grown significantly during the past few weeks.

“It’s been difficult for some Facebook users to understand that while we do want them to feel free to post comments, it will not always be possible for the district to respond via Facebook,” he stated in an e-mail.

On Wednesday, people used the Facebook page to question the snow day decision-making process. Some wondered why the district would be in session if the sidewalks aren’t clear. Students who live within one mile of the school have to walk to school. 

“Remember the walkers…. Please, lets [sic] not forget they will have to walk in the streets in the freezing temps,” another parent wrote on the St. Charles School District's wall.

Around 8:30 p.m. some parents said that the St. Charles School District was the last to announce a closure. 

“Are the road and weather conditions within the confines of the city limits of St. Charles superior to theirs?” wrote one person. 

The Francis Howell School District’s Facebook page grew to more than 2,500 users from about 600 in the past few months.

While Henry monitors the comments, which aren’t always positive, she said she hasn’t had to delete anything yet.

“People are allowed to have their opinions,” she said. “We appreciate those opinions whether they are strongly for or against.” 

Orchard Farm School District relies on the SchoolReach automated phone system and local media to tell parents about snow days, said Superintendent Dan Dozier.

He said those methods seem to reach everyone in the district, although the administration has discussed using social media as well.

“We only have so many people and so much time to be able to address so many comments and concerns,” he said.

The district hears complaints through the more traditional communication methods--phone and e-mail.

“Everybody wants you to address their individual situation,” he said. “But when you’re working for an organization you have to make the best decision for the good of everyone.” 

School Districts Using Social Media 

St. Charles School District 

Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/cityofstcharlesschooldistrict

 Twitter: @StChasCitySch

Francis Howell School District

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/francishowellschooldistrict

Twitter: @FrancisHowell