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| Automated Messaging System in Abingdon School District Working |
A new tool the Abingdon School District uses to contact staff, parents, students and others did what it was supposed to do this week when officials were forced to closed one of the school buildings.
District 217 implemented the Skylert messaging system at the beginning of the school year. It's an automated system that places phone calls or sends text messages and e-mails to announce school closings, early dismissals and other things like parent/teacher conferences, negative student lunch balances, awards ceremonies and field trip reminders.
The system got its first test Wednesday when a heating problem with the boiler closed Hedding Grade School. The boiler has since been repaired.
Superintendent Dr. Tami Roskamp told the District 217 School Board Wednesday night that Skylert worked well.
"I heard really good things (about the system)," Roskamp said. "It will be interesting, during an early dismissal, when we send out that message how many cell phones go off. That's usually what happens when you sent that little message out."
Students are not supposed to have their cell phones on them during the school day. Roskamp says the school district will also use the system for emergency snow days. She says there are still some kinks to work out, like families with more than one student in the school district receiving multiple notifications.
The school board also heard from high school principal Chad Cox. Cox responded to a school board member's previous request for information about how many recent high school graduates went on to college.
The numbers provided by Cox indicate about 80 percent of the 2009 graduating class enrolled in a two-year or four-year college compared to about 75 percent of the graduates from the class of 2008. |
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| 10 15 09 by Newsroom |
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