SCHOOL BEAT

RPS to utilize SchoolMessenger, another form of communication

by DOUG  VANDERJAGT, Principal
Rockford Freshman Center

Starting in March, Rockford Public Schools (RPS) has signed on with SchoolMessenger, a California-based company that provides notification services for emergency broadcasts, parental outreach and student attendance communications for K-12 education.

The system is programmed to call the primary phone number of parents for a variety of reasons that impact the safety of your students. SchoolMessenger will be used to complement our emergency preparedness procedures and to inform parents of upcoming school events such as statewide testing and parent meetings.

After evaluating several notification solutions, we selected SchoolMessenger because it offers a real value to the district and is proven to measurably impact student safety, parental involvement, staff communications and student attendance. With the use of bond dollars, RPS was able to purchase this hardware, which in turn will increase communication without additional personnel.

Look and listen for more information from your child’s school on this exciting new tool for improving communication.

This system will not replace current modes of school communication. Principals are still accessible for live visits and we will still send home paper-based memoranda. Acquisition of the SchoolMessenger system is intended to reinforce the district’s commitment to remain personally connected to parents.