New system gets messages to parents quickly

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:36 AM CDT

The Warren County School District has partnered with a call notification provider so school officials can alert parents quickly in case of an emergency or for general announcement.

The automated messaging system is called SchoolReach, and the provider is GroupCast Messaging Systems. The system already is in use in many school districts nationwide.

SchoolReach allows a school official, such as the principal, to record a brief message, then send it to a list of parents simultaneously.Once the message is recorded, it only takes a few minutes to distribute to parents. The system then generates a report that tells officials which parents answered, when an answering machine picked up and whether those who answered listened to the whole message.

Replacing older forms of communication, such as phone trees and sending notes home with students, the system allows for effective and timely dispensing of important information.

"SchoolReach allows a school administrator to more effectively and efficiently contact parents with important announcements," said Paul Langhorst, GroupCast vice president of operations. "Schools struggle with day-of or night-before notices to parents; SchoolReach serves this need perfectly and requires no hardware, software or phone lines for use. We are very pleased that Warren County R-3 School District recognizes the need for such a communication tool and has selected GroupCast as its partner."

In schools already using the SchoolReach system, officials have reported that it is an ideal way to provide parents with important information, such as school closings or registration reminders. It also works well in emergency situations or for rumor abatement. This system allows officials to send out messages to the entire student body or a select group affected by the announcement, such as a class or sports team. It also allows officials to call parents at work, home or even on their cell phones if they prefer.