Greensburg Salem School District plans to upgrade its website this year and offer an improved alert system for communications with local families.
The district will revamp its online presence through an agreement with Finalsite, an educational technology company based in Connecticut.
The school board this week approved an agreement with the company covering services from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2027. The annual cost of $15,445 includes a new system for mass communications with district families.
“We want to start working to transition our website to a more parent-, teacher-, everybody-friendly website with a communications system that will include a district app,” said district Superintendent Ken Bissell.
He said having the web and alert systems under one umbrella will be a cheaper option for the district.
“It takes us from three systems essentially down to one, which is much more user-friendly,” said James Baker, coordinator of technology integration and student information for the district.
He said parents will be able to customize how they receive alerts about school situations such as delayed start times.
“Parents can sign up for whatever school they want to be attached to,” he said. “You can choose how and when you want to receive notifications. It’s also very simple to opt out.
“It will translate into different languages for our families. If their native language isn’t English, those notices will automatically be translated into their language of preference.”
Baker said the upgraded website will provide capabilities for streaming more school activities including choral and band concerts or athletic events.
“There’s a lot of opportunity with this new platform, so we can really push out to the community what the district is doing,” he said.
According to its website, Finalsite provides services to more than 5,000 school districts across the country, including Downingtown Area School District in Chester County.
Athletic sponsor provides cash, equipment
In an ongoing campaign to solicit sponsorships for district athletic venues and events, the school board approved an agreement with The Wilson Group that includes new printer equipment as well as cash.
In addition to a $1,500 donation, the company is providing $12,000 worth of equipment that will be used for student printing needs.
In return, the company will have a sign fixed at the bottom of the Offutt Field scoreboard for three years, will have its name or logo appear on banners and a scrolling digital scoreboard element at football games, will get six season passes, will be able to distribute information at games and will get district web mentions.
Another major sponsor, UPMC, is paying the district $25,000 to have its name displayed on the Offutt scoreboard for five years.
2 head coaches named
The board has named two new varsity head coaches, each a former assistant coach.
Ty George will lead the football coaching staff, for a supplemental salary of $11,278, and Anthony Manley will head the baseball staff, for $5,819. Respectively, they’re succeeding Dave Keefer and Bill Wisniewski, who each resigned.
