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RCS to switch secondary report cards to digital, adopt ParentSquare; board discusses assistant principal hiring and evening security costs
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Bailey told the board the district will move to digital secondary report cards and begin district-wide use of ParentSquare; the board also discussed posting for a high school assistant principal and options and costs for an evening security position or school resource officer (SRO).
RAVENA — The Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District will move secondary-level progress reports and report cards to digital delivery for the 2024–25 school year, and the district will begin rolling out the ParentSquare communication platform, Superintendent Dr. Bailey told the Board of Education at the Jan. 13 meeting.
Why it matters: Digital report cards and a single communications platform aim to consolidate messaging for families who have children in multiple schools and to enable two-way communication between families and staff.
Dr. Bailey said the district will notify families in the coming month about the secondary digital-report-card transition; families who want printed copies can opt back in. Elementary report cards will remain printed for now because those reports are narrative and are typically handed out at parent meetings. Dr. Bailey said the district will start the ParentSquare rollout in February for secondary schools, emphasizing staff training and a phased approach so teachers and families can adapt.
“On the parent end it will look no different. You’ll still get text messages, you’ll still get emails, you’ll still get phone calls,” Dr. Bailey said, adding the platform improves two-way communication and consolidates messages for families with multiple children.
Dr. Bailey also said the district plans to post the high school assistant principal position at the end of the month, aiming to hire in March or April; the board agreed staff, families and community members will participate in the process.
The board discussed evening security options previously raised during budget planning. Dr. Bailey said estimated annual costs vary with the provider: roughly $35,000 if the district hires its own employee, $50,000 if the district uses a third-party contractor, and about $70,000 if the district contracts with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Board members signaled a preference for pursuing an SRO through the sheriff’s office while the budget is developed.
Board member Mike requested a status report at the next meeting on school-bus stop-arm cameras: how frequently footage is reviewed, how many violations the district has captured, and whether tickets or other enforcement followed.
Ending: The board set a workshop and budget calendar for the coming weeks; the district will circulate timelines and training materials for ParentSquare and notify families about the secondary digital-report-card transition.
Quotes
"On the parent end it will look no different. You’ll still get text messages, you’ll still get emails, you’ll still get phone calls," Dr. Bailey said of ParentSquare.
Votes and actions: No formal vote was required for the items described; the board asked staff to provide a report on stop-arm camera reviews at the next meeting.
