Tucson Unified School District is the largest district in Tucson and doesn’t have a parent notification system.
The TUSD Governing Board voted to approve buying the ParentLink system for the district, which will cost 72,000 per year.
Director for Communications for TUSD Cara Rene said the lack of a notification system was a problem for the district.
“We know that if we’re able to send text messages and keep them updated it’s going to give them a sense of security, it’s going to keep them informed, which is the most important thing to us.”
Other school districts in Tucson like Sunnyside and Amphitheater already have parent notification systems.
Sunnyside has had Parentlink for 3 years.
Santa Clara Elementary School Principal Eddie Islas said with the recent rise of school threats, it’s important to communicate with parents.
“There was a gas leak or a water break and student’s had to be sent out of the school and it was used to notify parents.”
Rene said, “It’s going to take a little while for this implementation that is why were saying the spring, it’s not an immediate thing to have happen.”
The emergency notification system will be the first part of Parentlink that TUSD will use. The notifications will send out by text messaging, emails and robocalls.
Parent Liaison for Sunnyside Lisa Skiff said often times paper announcements from school don’t always make it home. As a mom, she says parents do appreciate the constant communication.
“They know my voice and once they meet me, they’re like ‘Oh you’re the voice behind the ParentLink'”, she said.
TUSD said ParentLink will help connect and serve the 50,000 students within the district.