Committee endorses switching district messaging to ParentSquare with Skyward integration
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Summary
After testing a prior translation/messaging product, the district recommended replacing it with ParentSquare (integrated with Skyward) and forwarded the purchase request to the full board for approval.
The Centennial School District education committee voted to forward to the full board a request to adopt ParentSquare — a communication platform that integrates with the district’s Skyward student information system — replacing a previously purchased translation/messaging product that administrators said did not meet expectations.
Officials told the committee that Reach Cloud, the district’s earlier purchase, underperformed during pilot work, and that ParentSquare offers tighter integration with Skyward, which staff expect will reduce technical friction for teachers and families. Staff recommended the Engage‑level ParentSquare package with a one‑time implementation fee; they described first‑year costs as modestly higher because of that setup charge but roughly comparable in subsequent years.
“This will be a better match to our district for the biggest reason: it is built and it is connected with Skyward,” said Mister Gabriel, the district presenter. He explained that automatic integration with the student‑information system would streamline rostering and messaging, and that district users in nearby Skyward districts had recommended the product.
Administrators proposed the purchase and a phased rollout, and said the translated messaging would remain available to families who need it while the product would be a district‑wide messaging system for all families. Staff indicated first‑year costs including implementation would be approximately $25,175 (implementation plus annual fees referenced in meeting material), and that recurring annual costs after implementation would be similar to previously planned budgets.
The committee moved the communications item as part of a package of six recommended items to the full board for approval on May 27; the committee vote to forward the package was 3‑0.
Staff said they would provide a simplified slide and a cover‑sheet summary to the full board showing the cost comparison, the Skyward integration benefit and the recommended Engage package details.
