Over the Winter Break, Deer Park School District unveiled a new website and released a new communications app for both iOS and Android phones. The new website and mobile app are designed to act in tandem to promote increased parental and stakeholder engagement and enhance communication. Along with the release of the new communications platform, the district also established a presence on Facebook.
A ComScore study shows that Americans use mobile technologies at almost three times the rate of desktop computers, and a Pew study reports that 75% of adults access news and information using various social media platforms. With these newly-adopted tools, the district staff can more easily share information across multiple communication channels.
Going forward, we plan to simultaneously release news stories and "Live Feed" information on our website, to the mobile app, and to Facebook. The "Live Feed" will be a new tool to push simple and quick updates to the website, to mobile devices, and to social media. Whether it's a district news item, a school-specific update, or an important district alert (i.e. - a two-hour delay or school closure), parents and patrons alike can get information on the devices they choose and from multiple sources!
The new website is accessible using the same URL as before - http://www.dpsd.org (if you're not seeing the new website at dpsd.org, be sure to clear your web browser's cache). Additionally, the mobile app can be quickly and easily added to your smartphone by visiting either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and searching for "Deer Park School District." After installing the app on your phone, open the app and tap the "Settings" button at the lower right corner of your screen and then choose the school(s) your child or children attend. Finally, tap on the "Push Notifications" button to receive pertinent notifications from the Live Feed in real-time.
We're excited to put these new tools to use and look forward to deploying this multi-layered approach to get you the information you want and need about what's going on in DPSD!
