Citizen Portal
Sign In

Board hears proposal to renew web-hosting and adopt ParentSquare for district communications

Downingtown Area School District Board of Directors · February 5, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The board reviewed a five-year CMS renewal for $41,750 and a five-year ParentSquare contract for $39,000 to replace Blackboard; staff said initial pricing is below state-consortium rates for two years, then will move to the consortium rate and includes an opt-out clause.

The district's technology and communications staff recommended two multi-year contracts: a five-year renewal for the district content-management/web-hosting system for $41,750 and a five-year contract for ParentSquare, a mass-communication platform, priced at $39,000 for the initial term to replace Blackboard.

Staff explained the vendor's list price is $6 per student but said the district negotiated below the state-consortium rate for the first two years; after that point the contract would move to a consortium rate that raises the annual cost to about $58,500 for the later years of the agreement. The vendor representative noted an opt-out clause is available if the district is not satisfied after the initial period.

Board members sought clarity on long-term costs and whether the district can terminate if the service falls short; staff confirmed an opt-out clause is included and said communications staff will monitor performance. The board did not complete a final vote on the contracts during this meeting; the items were presented as action items for the agenda.