Improving Communications

The district is looking into the Alert Now notification system. This system is being used by many schools in the state to keep parents and students informed, including the Springfield Public Schools. The system would give immediate updates in the event of emergencies, school closures, or public service announcements. Another feature of the system is to keep parents informed of their child’s attendance. Once morning attendance is taken the system would call and inform the parents if their child is in school or not. The system can call a home number, a cell phone, or email depending on the parent’s choice. We know at times parents get upset when we call to check why their child is not in school. We are not doing this to check or judge their parenting skills. We believe that parents need to know this information in the event that they believe their child is in school and in fact they are not. Early intervention could save lives. We value your feedback on implementation of a notification system.