Newport Schools Launch Mobile App

NEWPORT, RI—The Newport School Department has rolled out a mobile phone app. The app can stream information, calendar events and district announcements to a smartphone. The school committee members tried it out at their Jan. 10 meeting.

Despite a little initial confusion over how to turn it on, the adults did manage to give it a go after they consulted a student.

According to Schools Supt. Colleen Burns Jermain, everybody is very excited about the app.

In a follow-up e-mail, Marcin G. Rembisz, Communications Coordinator, said the app was created by Blackboard, the same company that developed the district's website and runs the robo-calls. The administrators and the building principals customized it for each school, so it's possible for users to select information for the Pell School, for example, and eliminate unwanted announcements and calendar events for Rogers High.

"There was a $1500 application fee, and an annual fee of $1290," he said. "The application fee was paid through FY 2016 budgeted local technology funds. The annual $1290 is included in FY 2017 budgeted technology funds."

The app came with a slick video that explains the top features, such as sending notes to school officials, and consolidating school calendar events, like basketball games, with personal events on the smartphone.

"There was a $500 cost for promotional materials that were funded through our Nellie Mae Community Engagement Grant," he said.

The video promises the app can offer "one stop shopping" for news, but so far, it's strictly official news provided by the district.

"There is an allowance for additional news feeds," he said, "but we have been concentrating on the school content and adding additional feeds will be something we will be doing in the future."

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