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District to roll out Smore newsletter platform and expand translation after audit of language‑services use
Summary
Robbinsdale communications staff reported 11,499 interpreter minutes and 370 interpreter requests this year, recommended switching to Smore for newsletters (real‑time translation into 160 languages), and said the district will audit Infinite Campus flags and continue FACE team reviews for high‑stakes translations.
Derek Williams, interim director of communications, told the Robbinsdale Area School Board on March 2 that the district is expanding translation and family‑feedback work and plans to transition its newsletter platform to Smore to improve real‑time translation for families.
Williams said the district has implemented three opt‑in enrollment surveys and to date collected 375 'learn more' responses; 13.1% of those respondents requested non‑English communication. He reported significant demand for language services this year: 11,499 minutes of language‑line interpreter services and 370 interpreter requests submitted through the district language‑services form. Spanish and Somali were the top requested languages, with other languages (French, Haitian Creole, Khmer, etc.) rising in volume.
On translations, Williams said the district uses a human‑based vendor, GBR, for in‑person interpreter services and document translation and retains a FACE team review for higher‑stakes messages. Regarding Smore, Williams said the platform simplifies newsletter layout and offers end‑user translation in 160 languages; he explained Smore would allow recipients to select a preferred language in their email client and receive an on‑the‑fly translation. "The end user will be able to select their preferred language and it'll be translated," he said.
Board members raised concerns about past translation errors and asked how the district would maintain quality. Williams acknowledged historical mistakes that predate his tenure, said the district uses human translators through GBR and FACE team auditing for important messages, and described a planned audit of Infinite Campus interpreter flags to ensure families flagged as needing translation still require it and to identify unflagged families who do.
Williams said Smore will likely reduce reliance on pre‑translated crisis messages by allowing schools to route some school‑level messages through the newsletter platform and provide immediate translation; crisis communications that go through Infinite Campus will still require separate translation steps until workflows change. The communications team will continue to develop quarterly data reviews of enrollment feedback and language‑service requests and expects to launch Smore before the next school year.
Board members asked whether Smore supports two‑way translation (family replies in their own language translated to English); Williams said the district had not yet explored that feature but would investigate.
The board thanked Williams for the presentation and the communications team for the proposed changes intended to improve access for multilingual families.
