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District to launch new website and phone app; staff say vendor will migrate content and enable push notifications
Summary
District staff described a new website and phone app product (listed in the board packet as Aptagy/Apigy) that will provide per-school apps, push notifications and content migration; the vendor proration and initiation fee were discussed and staff said the product will launch in the coming weeks with QR-code distribution.
District technology staff outlined a planned transition to a new website and phone app product presented in the board packet (referred to in materials as Aptagy or Apigy) and described features, timing and cost structure.
The presenter said the product will allow the district and each school to maintain live feeds and send unified communications (push notifications, text, call and email) from a single interface. Schools will be able to publish athletics schedules, concert notices and other items to a school-specific feed; parents can select which school feeds and notification types they want. The product also includes social-media integration and accessibility scanning baked into the service so the vendor will migrate content and perform required accessibility adjustments as part of the setup.
Staff said the vendor agreed to reduce the initiation fee and to prorate the subscription to align with a July 1 billing cycle so the district could transition smoothly; after the one-time initiation fee the product operates on an ongoing subscription model that staff said is roughly comparable to the district's current costs when factoring previously separate tools. A launch and QR-code distribution were planned in the coming weeks so community members can download the app.
Board members asked whether the product would integrate with PowerSchool and whether the April vendor charge was a setup cost or the start of subscription billing. Staff said PowerSchool could be linked via a menu item (the PowerSchool app would remain separate but could be accessed from the new app) and that the April charge covered setup and the vendor prorated billing so the district's renewal can align with July 1.
Why this matters: The change aims to streamline district communications, improve mobile access and consolidate multiple messaging tools. Board members asked for clarity on any ongoing costs and the report noted the district had negotiated the setup fee and will provide additional detail if needed.
Next steps: Staff expect a soft launch with QR-code distribution in the coming weeks, will complete content migration, and will provide follow-up information about ongoing subscription costs at a future meeting.
