Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Family Communications Platform topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Marshalltown board to replace Remind with ParentSquare; contract approved 5-0
Summary
Administrators told the board ParentSquare better meets rostered, mobile-first and multilingual needs; the board approved a contract to replace Remind and authorized implementation planning.
Marshalltown Community School District trustees on April 21 approved a districtwide contract to adopt ParentSquare as the district’s primary family communication platform, replacing Remind. The motion carried 5-0.
District technology and communications staff said the decision followed a year of monitoring Remind’s ownership changes and feature roadmap and a district-led review of communications platforms. Staff described three core criteria for the new platform: mobile-first delivery so messages reach families as texts or emails without requiring account setup, roster integration so families receive messages based on current student enrollment, and translation/bi-directional language support for non-English speakers.
"A lot of platforms require families to create accounts or use apps. We don’t want that to be a requirement — families should receive communications with little to no effort," the communications lead said during the presentation. Staff said ParentSquare preserves many key Remind features while adding administrative tools, better two-way translation, newsletter templates and rostered registration options.
Board members asked about cost and teacher adoption. Administrators said ParentSquare carries a higher annual cost (staff estimated roughly $10,000 more than the current service) but the vendor was waiving some onboarding fees. Staff said the district expects some offset where buildings currently pay for third‑party newsletter tools and by consolidating registration and communications functions in one system.
Administrators outlined an implementation approach: advertise the change during registration, provide a month-long campaign, offer the app for families who want enhanced features, and ensure default delivery via text/email for families who do not create accounts. The system also supports translation so messages can be translated for recipients and responses translated back to staff.
The board approved the contract and authorized staff to proceed with implementation planning; staff will report back on rollout schedules and training for teachers and families.
