Connect-ED Information

Starting in the fall of 2007, the Snohomish School District is using the Connect-ED phone system.

Connect-ED is a service of the NTI Group, Inc. NTI guarantees the privacy of their data, and the data is stored at a Level-4 Government-rated facility (the highest rating available). School districts across the country are using this service as a quick way to notify families of events and emergencies within their District. Other Districts in our area that use this service include: Everett, Lakewood, Tacoma, and Arlington. The Connect-ED service will allow us to send the same message out to all families in our District-even if the power is out across the state!


How Does Connect-ED Work?
The Connect-ED system works with the District's student-data system to retrieve contact information for every student in the District. The system can retrieve up to six contact numbers for each student. When messages are sent, they are sent to each phone number only once. This means that even if you have multiple students in the District, or at an individual school, each message sent will only be sent to your home once. For regular messages, only the primary student contact will be notified. This is typically the student's home phone number. In the case of an emergency, all six numbers will be called for each family. Emergency messages will ONLY be sent if the District or school is experiencing an emergency.

 

What Types of Messages Will I Receive?

Because the overall goal of using Connect-ED is for parents to receive important information about Snohomish schools (especially information that affects their children), in a timely manner, the Connect-ED system will be used sparingly.

The following message types are sent only to the primary contact number:

  • District-Wide Community Outreach Messages: These messages will typically be sent by a District administrator, and will be messages that affect the entire District population. Examples of District-Wide messages include announcements about the bus schedule release dates and other District-wide events.

  • School-Wide Community Outreach Messages: These messages will typically be sent by a school administrator. These messages may include reminders about conferences or special events at individual schools.

  • Attendance Messages: Many schools will begin using Connect-ED to contact parents if their child has missed one or more periods of school. These messages will serve as a reminder for parents to call the school to report the reason for the child's absence.

  • Single Question Surveys: Both the individual schools and the District will have the capability to send a single-question survey out to families. This feature will be used sparingly, and can be used to gauge parent's interest levels, attitudes, etc.

The following message type is sent to up to six contact numbers for each family:

  • Emergency Messages: As stated previously, emergency messages can be sent at either the school or the District level. These messages will be sent ONLY in the case of an emergency.

For Specific Questions about the Connect-ED System, please contact the Communications Department at: 360-563-7263.