Automated Communication System

The Spackenkill School District has installed an automated communication system to quickly provide time sensitive school information to our families. The program is called School Connects and the system will provide this information in both telephone and email message formats.

The system has the ability to deliver emergency information to our residents in less than five minutes. In the event that there is nobody at home to take the call, the system will be able to leave a message on an answering machine. Information such as special instructions in the event of a building evacuation could be delivered with the School Connects system. Multiple phone numbers and email addresses can be contacted for each family. We will also continue to use the radio and cancellations.com as a means of communication for such events.

As a result of some questions and concerns that have arisen recently, we want to clarify some points about our use of the automated communications system. School Connects will now be used to notify all parents in the district of the following:

• School delays or closings
• Unplanned early dismissals
• District cancellations of all after-school activities (includes the Dutchess Community College after-school program at Hagan. Individual activity cancellations because of a teacher absence, for example, will be handled by the individual school and notification will not be made by School Connects. In addition, outside groups, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Children's Community Theater are not included; notification to those groups will come from the leader of the group.
  

Most often the notifications noted above are due to inclement weather; however, facilities issues such as a broken boiler, may also be a reason for notification. Additionally, School Connects will also be used for any emergency situation that requires immediate and timely notification of parents.

The district will continue to collect email addresses and verify emergency contact numbers as part of our emergency information collection at the beginning of each school year.