Southern Indiana School System Implements Parent Communication System

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (WTHI) - A southern Indiana school system decided to get more direct in alerting parents to emergency situations.

Last year the Bloomfield School System had a number of emergencies that left them scrambling to contact parents. Now, the school has contracted with a company to get out alerts immediately.

Last February a tornado ripped through Bloomfield damaging the school. No one was hurt, but it was one of six events that left parents terrified.

"It was really scary because I would hear things that were going on at school from other parents," said Bloomfield parent Paula Terrell, "and not hearing from the school directly makes you very concerned about your children and what's going on."

"We felt like coming up with a better communication system was important," said Bloomfield School Superintendent Dan Sichting.

School starts soon, and as students and parents line up to register, the school system is entering into a contract with a company called SchoolReach.

"We will be able to send a recorded message that will go out instantaneously with voice to parents," said Sichting, "so they will receive a call on their cell phones."

"I think that would be awesome," said Terrell, "it would definitely, as a parent of 3 kids, it would definitely put my mind at ease if I knew what was going on as soon as something developed."

Bloomfield School officials say they expect to have the new $2,000 system in place and operating by September first and they say one of the reasons they expect it to be so successful is that technology seems to have everyone wired together.

"Technology makes the world a smaller place," said Sichting, "whether it be the internet, e-mail, cellphones, whatever we're able to communicate with people like we've never been able to before."

By the time students settle into the school routine that system should be working. School officials say they are working out the final details on the contract.