Massapequa district to launch unified website and branded app; teacher–parent messaging to follow in spring

The Massapequa Union Free School District on Tuesday presented a redesigned district website and a branded mobile app intended to centralize district, school and department communications, with a planned public launch for the site and app on Jan. 30 and a later rollout of two‑way teacher–parent messaging in the spring.

Superintendent William Brennan introduced the presentation and said the work grew out of a district communication audit launched in January 2023 that gathered input from faculty, staff and parents. "That audit ... was done through a thought exchange," Brennan said, and produced priorities the district has been implementing.

Brian Piotrowski, who led the technology and communications presentation, said the district convened a target group of teachers, staff and parents to evaluate leading unified‑communication platforms. "This evening, I'm excited to be presenting our new Massapequa School District website and app," Piotrowski said, and described features built from stakeholder feedback: a simplified menu, image galleries, a spotlight/featured section, event calendars, and a "schools and community" selector so users can tailor the feed to specific buildings.

Piotrowski told the board the committee reviewed multiple vendors and selected a third‑party platform the district will rebrand as the "Massapequa School District" app; the district will continue to send district emails and direct text messages for urgent notices. The app will be available on iOS and Android, and will include customizable notifications and a feed that users can filter by school. A forthcoming "rooms" feature will support two‑way teacher–parent messages and class‑level views; Piotrowski said the district plans training for instructional staff and leadership ahead of the rooms soft launch in March–April.

Board members and attendees asked how the new system will interact with existing tools. Piotrowski said the district plans to promote three apps to families: the new district app (for news/notifications), the parent portal app (student grades and schedules) and Schoology (the learning management system). He also said contact forms will remain available for reaching staff members who are not in the rooms feature until teacher accounts are live. Piotrowski said district leadership and web liaisons are receiving training now and that leadership pages are being updated ahead of the Jan. 30 launch.

Board President Carrie Wachter and other trustees praised the work as a long‑term response to community feedback, calling the planned changes a simplification of existing communications. Piotrowski and central staff said they will provide community tutorials, in‑person and virtual support workshops, and PTA presentations as the district rolls out the system.

The district did not present vendor contract documents or financial terms during the public presentation; Piotrowski said the district has posted regular updates to stakeholders and will continue to communicate timeline details and support opportunities.

Looking ahead, the district plans a Jan. 30 public launch for the website and branded app, with the rooms feature and two‑way teacher communications scheduled for a soft launch in March–April. Additional training and community support sessions are planned in the weeks before and after each launch phase.