Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Communications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Northern Lebanon SD staff outline plan to adopt ParentSquare for district communications
Summary
District staff told the board the district has beta-tested ParentSquare since February and plans staff training in June, community outreach at back-to-school events, and eventual consideration of migrating web hosting after the Finalsite contract expires in 2027-28; presenters said ParentSquare would replace School Messenger and support SMS and non-smartphone users.
District staff presented a multi-month plan to consolidate family and community communications on ParentSquare, a customizable platform the administration recommends after a six-month evaluation and beta test. The presenter, identified in the transcript as Mrs. Pierce, said the district selected ParentSquare because it supports SMS for non-smartphone users, allows parents to set delivery preferences (SMS, email, real-time or daily digest), and offers group, class and individual messaging plus secure forms.
Mrs. Pierce said the district has run a beta test with staff and parent representatives since February and will offer staff training across eight dates in June and dedicated sign-up support at back-to-school nights in August. She described a phased outreach plan that includes a community calendar pickup day and signage at home football games; the district also intends to create open community groups (for seniors, the Viking Foundation, weather closings and delays) so nonparents can receive public information.
Administrators said ParentSquare would replace the district's current School Messenger product for alerts and noted ParentSquare can be configured so users without smartphones still receive SMS messages. Mrs. Pierce also noted ParentSquare offers web-hosting capabilities the district could consider when its Finalsite contract expires (projected 2027-28), though any website migration would be evaluated separately.
Board members asked whether sports teams would be included (presenter: yes; athletic groups can be auto-assigned) and whether parents must opt in to receive messages (presenter: accounts will be created and parents can later change notification preferences). The presentation closed with an implementation timeline for staff training in June and broader outreach before the next school year.
The transcript does not show a formal vote on procurement at this meeting; the presentation was informational and staff said they would proceed with training and outreach plans ahead of a broader rollout.
