School Board Juggles Emergency and General Communication Phone Aps
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
School Board Juggles Emergency and General Communication Phone Aps
Nancy Marks
Reporter
School board members heard discussions about whether teachers and staff should have a special application (app) on their personal phones or room computers to alert them when an emergency is in progress. At the December 12 school board meeting, Superintendent Susie Hedalen spoke with Manhattan officials who said the platform works well. The application is also connected directly to Broadwater County Sherrif’s office and includes a special program that includes GPS mapping of all the areas of the school. “The app would only be used for school emergencies. We communicate with parents on a separate app through our website. By spring we will have a parent portal as well,” she said.
Board member Jason Kool wondered how appropriate it would be to put the app on teachers’ personal phones. “Do they have their phones on in their rooms? What if they are away from their computers and don’t see the emergency information? “he asked.
Technical Specialist Joe Gill felt both communication methods were important. He did not see push-back from teachers about putting the app on their personal phones. Teacher Wendy Graveley weighed in on having better communication. “I think everyone would love it since we have no phones in our rooms now. I feel very isolated,” she explained.
Junior High Principal Brad Racht said he felt both parents and teachers get too much information on the communication app so they don’t pay that much attention. “We get desensitized with so many communications,” he said.
The board moved to have Superintendent Hedalen move ahead with the new safety app for teachers and staff.
Hedalen reported on progress with the community about whether to keep the school radio station running. Technical manager Luke Carr will host the radio at the school now so businesses and nonprofits can list their advertising and announcements. Hedalen said many people have responded to the survey. The survey is available at the school and community library. It will be available for comment through January 31st. The survey will also be available in the newspaper.
The board put off deciding whether Broadwater High School will have a baseball team until 2025. Board chairman Jason Noyes indicated the question needs to be answered during budget time in 2024. A February 2024 meeting is planned to solve the logistics involved in setting up the team.
Work continues on installing a school resource officer. Sheriff Nick Rauser reported he and High School Principal Sheri Heavrin were working together to get the officer in the schools by January 2024.
