District Information / AlertNow

AlertNow is a phone call system that provides pre-recorded automated telephone messages in a relatively quick amount of time.

We will use the emergency notification system in the event of school closings due to severe weather or for other emergency situations deemed by the Superintendent to warrant immediate notification. Occasionally we will use the system for routine announcements. We also send a test message each fall.

For urgent situations such as an emergency school closing for a snow day, or other events that the Superintendent determines it essential to reach families, the following phone numbers will be called:

• Student’s home phone number
• Mother’s cell phone number
• Father’s cell phone number

General information messages will be provided only to the student’s home phone number.

The phone numbers used by AlertNow (and our school offices in general) are provided by parents during the registration process. Please make sure you keep your contact information updated by contacting your school office.

As we have worked with the AlertNow system, we have tried to balance “information” with “interruption.” We realize that in some cases, families may receive automated calls to several different phone numbers. We hope that the inconvenience of this interruption is outweighed by the assurance that you have received the message.

When the need arises to send a notification, the Superintendent will record a message that will be broadcast to the appropriate phone numbers (as described above). We also provide a similar message in Spanish to those families who have requested that communication be provided in Spanish. The automated system will attempt three times to reach the numbers and will make every attempt to leave a message on answering machines and/or voice mail.

There are a number of reasons why you might not have received a particular call:

• The number we have in our system is incorrect for some reason. To avoid these situations, please notify your child’s school of any changes in your home, work or cell phone numbers. Also, please review your information and make corrections when you register each spring.
• Your answering machine or voice mail presents a problem for the automated calling system. Read the “Call FAQ for Parents” from AlertNow for more information.