Lawrence Public Schools Launch Parent Notification System, Host Communication Training for District Leaders

Lawrence, KS (PRWEB) April 23, 2008 -- Lawrence Public Schools today announced the launch of its SchoolMessenger parent notification program. The district, which serves more than 10,400 students at 23 school campuses, will use its new communications capabilities to reinforce its strong commitment to maintaining positive relationships between school and home and to reach parents quickly in the event of an emergency.

"Lawrence schools understand the importance of parent involvement to students' academic success. We value positive home-school connections and work hard to inform and engage parents in their children's education," said Superintendent of Schools Randy Weseman. "The SchoolMessenger system is a new tool that we can use to proactively communicate with parents. It will enhance existing and ongoing communication methods employed by our schools, including personal, telephone and email interactions, school newsletters and Web sites, parent conferences, meetings and events, and our strong working relationship with local media."

As part of its launch, district administrators, school principals and assistant principals participated in training sessions today hosted by the Reliance Communications Leadership Institute (RCLI), which was designed to help them use the new system to communicate with impact. RCLI is assisting the district with the development of a districtwide plan for the use of this powerful technology.

To introduce the notification program, school families will receive a call with a recorded message from the principal of their child's school in the next few weeks. The principal will explain how the notification system will be used to share messages and reminders about school activities. In addition, if an emergency occurs anywhere in the district, immediate calling capabilities are now in place to enable thousands of messages to be delivered in a matter of minutes. Schools encourage parents to keep their children's school records current with any changes to emergency contact information.

"We applaud Lawrence Public Schools for taking a very proactive, thoughtful approach to their communications program," said Julie Abbott, vice president of sales and professional services for Reliance Communications, the parent company of SchoolMessenger and RCLI. "Schools across the country are adopting notification systems at an increasing rate in hopes of better connecting with busy parents. With the support of RCLI, and adequate planning and training, school districts like Lawrence are achieving their intended communication goals."

RCLI is a division of Reliance Communications dedicated to helping organizations communicate more effectively. The division was created out of the need for Reliance's SchoolMessenger customers to use the notification technologies more effectively. RCLI offers a suite of instructor-led courses, performance improvement tools and information resources that can be used to enhance school district, parent, and community involvement.

About Reliance Communications, Inc.

Reliance Communications, Inc. is a premier global provider of automated notification solutions for education, government, health care, business, and non-profit organizations. More than 8,000 organizations depend upon our robust portfolio of proven solutions and expert training to connect and effectively communicate with millions of people every day. Founded in 1999, the privately-funded company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. For information, visit www.relianceco.com.

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