Morgan Academy has introduced a program it hopes will increase the safety of its students and further strengthen communication between parents and the school.

Morgan is now using Blackboard Connect, a program that alerts parents by way of text message, phone call or email in the case of an emergency or important announcement from the school.

Randy Skipper, headmaster at Morgan Academy, said the program helps the school communicate important information to parents in a timely and efficient manner.

“We use edline … and this is a service it provides, so we looked into it as a way that we can communicate with the parents in an efficient manner,” Skipper said. “Now we can send out texts, emails and also phone calls very quickly and contact the parents. It’s interesting because several weeks ago when there was severe weather coming in, by the time school started we were not able to contact the parents—we can now do that. If there’s ever an emergency we can contact parents very quickly.”

The program is already in effect and parents were enrolled through contact info already given to school.

Skipper said the program will also help parents make sure their children are in class.

“It also calls when we enter our absentees into the system,” Skipper said. “It calls the parents of students that are absent, so they’re notified that the students are not at school.”

Skipper said Blackboard Connect will also inform parents of important upcoming events at Morgan, but won’t be overly bothersome.

“Any time there is information that we need to get out to the parents, whether it’s by email—we won’t be sending a lot of texts or phone messages unless it is an emergency—it allows us to email parents very quickly on announcements and other things that have been going on,” Skipper said. “It’s just a better way that we can communicate between the school and the home.”

Skipper said feedback has been good so far, and that Blackboard Connect will continue to evolve into something to benefit both parents and their children.

“So far we’ve got a lot of very positive response,” Skipper said. “We’re still working out the kinks, but I think it’s going to be something that’s definitely going to improve the communication between the home and the school.”