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Board approves ParentSquare mass‑communication system; district to pilot in fall
Summary
The Gilbert Unified District board on June 24 approved ParentSquare for parent, family, student and staff engagement, citing integration with student information systems, ADA-accessibility features and built‑in administrative oversight; a Campo Verde pilot and a Mesquite-cluster pilot were discussed with a recommended October start for pilots.
The Gilbert Unified District Governing Board on June 24 approved a districtwide contract to adopt ParentSquare as the district's mass-communication and family-engagement platform. The board approved the action after staff described integration, accessibility and oversight features the district sought in a replacement for a collection of existing, non-standard tools.
District communications staff said the chosen platform meets a scope of work that included: secure, two-way district and school messaging; integration with Infinite Campus (student data) and iVisions (staff data); automated attendance notifications; ADA-accessible delivery options (email alternatives to app-only tools); administrator oversight and message archiving to support FOIA requests; and reporting to measure parent engagement.
Why it matters: Staff argued ParentSquare centralizes communications, replaces multiple non-district-approved tools (reducing data and access risk), and ensures messages are archived and auditable. For parents, the platform can be used via a mobile app or through email; users choose their notification preferences. The district also noted ParentSquare includes StudentSquare capability to permit coach and high‑school staff communications to students while preserving administrative oversight (a compliance matter under recent state rules limiting direct teacher–student communications outside approved channels).
Pilot and rollout plan presented: - Staff presented a pilot targeting the Mesquite cluster (Mesquite High, Mesquite Junior and five feeder elementary schools) plus district coaches, with a proposed pilot start in October 2025. They also recommended a fall campus pilot at Campo Verde to exercise the platform at a comprehensive high school level. - The proposed districtwide rollout was discussed for January; some board members questioned a midyear change and suggested the pilot timing could be altered to reduce disruption. - Staff said ParentSquare can replace existing vendor tools and demonstrated that parental preferences (app vs email) and ADA accessibility were part of the evaluation.
Costs and procurement: Staff said they solicited quotes from cooperative-contract vendors, convened a 21-person stakeholder demo group, and received a unanimous recommendation for ParentSquare. The board review included a slide with cost comparisons and an explanation that some current tools would be retired, offsetting part of the ongoing expense. The board did not specify a dollar amount in public discussion during the meeting but requested clarification slide review during Q&A.
Board action: Jesse Brainard moved to approve the ParentSquare mass communication system; Sheena Murray seconded. The board voted to approve the contract.
Ending: Staff will manage implementation, training and communication to campuses and families. The district emphasized training for teachers (including new hires), a parent download campaign and administrative support on campuses to ensure a smooth transition.
