Bedford Public Schools to roll out ParentSquare districtwide in August

Bedford Public Schools Superintendent Carl said the district will roll out ParentSquare as its sole districtwide communications platform this August, with staff training and parent login information expected before Sept. 1. "It's called ParentSquare," Carl said. "It's app based. It's cloud based. It allows the district to create user groups unlike our current system."

Why it matters: The board framed the change as a way to consolidate multiple messaging apps into a single, administratively visible channel and to strengthen oversight of staff-to-family communications. Carl said ParentSquare can send phone calls, texts and emails, host calendars, link to the new website and deliver attendance alerts, and that high-school students (grades 9–12) will be offered the StudentSquare option. He said the district has already signed the contract under the superintendent purchase threshold and conducted an onboarding meeting.

What officials said: Carl said the district will continue to use its Bedford domain email and Infinite Campus for grades and Schoology for whole-class posting, but ParentSquare will be required for employee-to-family messaging. "We are using this as our sole communication program," he said, adding that the system also can support secure documents, polls and future optional components such as payment features.

Board and public reaction: Board members and several parents welcomed the consolidation; one resident said the change should reduce reliance on apps such as WhatsApp and Hudl and improve accountability. A public commenter thanked the board for the move and said streamlined communications would reduce confusion for families with multiple students.

Rollout and oversight details: Carl said employees will be required to use ParentSquare and that the district will update its communications policy to list allowable message channels. He said the district will try to deliver parent login instructions prior to the start of school and that calendars will sync with a new website scheduled to go live Aug. 8. "If you receive a communication from our district employee outside of Infinite Campus, Gmail or ParentSquare, immediately contact your administrator or contact me," Carl said.

Remaining questions and next steps: The district did not publish exact parent‑login dates beyond the "before Sept. 1" target; Superintendent Carl said staff training and initial rollout to teachers would occur during late August and that administrators planned to drive as much messaging traffic into ParentSquare as possible. The district plans additional parent communications and tutorial videos during rollout.