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ISD 196 rolls out ParentSquare, reports 99.6% parent contactability; multilingual chatbot answers 24,614 queries
Summary
District communicators told the board the new ParentSquare system has over 33,000 family contacts and the district can contact 99.6% of families; a multilingual chatbot launched Feb. 1 has fielded 24,614 questions with a 99% answer rate, and staff outlined training and language-access plans.
District communications staff on Sept. 15 outlined a multi-pronged rollout of new communications tools, reporting that ParentSquare and a multilingual chatbot have already changed how the district reaches families.
Janet Swachakowski said the district has "over 33,000 family contacts" in ParentSquare (more than 30,000 student contacts across pre-K through K–12) and that the district is 99.6% contactable — meaning the notification system records at least one working email address or cell phone per student. "When communication goes out, we immediately see who's not contactable," she said.
Janet also reported the district's new chatbot (launched Feb. 1) has fielded 24,614 questions and provided answers to 99% of them. The tool is multilingual and integrates website content, calendars and athletics pages to surface relevant answers.
Staff described ParentSquare as a consolidation of multiple apps (School Messenger, Remind, TalkingPoints, ClassDojo and others) into one platform with two-way translated messaging; teachers will receive translated messages in English in their email and can reply in ParentSquare, which returns the translation to the parent's language.
Janet said adoption rates vary by building (she estimated 30–50% active registration three months into rollout) and that ParentSquare will not replace emergency email/text notifications for families who do not register an account. The communications team is providing templates, training, and rollout support for coaches and school offices, and plans phased adoption for student-facing StudentSquare in grades 9–12.
Board members asked for clarification on the 99.6% contactability metric; Janet explained it refers to the presence of at least one working email or phone number in the district's notification records and said ParentSquare has helped identify bounces so staff can follow up.
