MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District workers added a technology system to quickly inform parents of emergencies, meetings and attendance.

SchoolMessenger sends voice, e-mail and text messages to family members and employees, 15 minutes after they are typed out by a district member or school principal. The automated message is sent to the primary number listed in a child’s information packet.

“We’ve been looking at some options to enhance the safety and security of our students and to improve our communication with the community,” said Michelle Price, district superintendent. “This is one of the items we committed to in our 2007 security and safety bond.”

The messages are translated to Spanish for those listing it as their primary language.

“This allows us to get factual information out to families in a timely manner,” Price said. “This is a step in the right direction in our goal of student safety.”

Price urges families to ensure their child’s information is up-to-date.

“Since everything is taken from what their child has listed, it is important for parents to make sure everything is accurate and that they have the right contact information listed for their children,” Price said.

Some Moses Lake schools have been using SchoolMesenger to remind parents of family nights, parent/teacher group meetings and other events.

“There are many uses for it the district can utilize,” Price said.

If a parent hasn’t called the school office to tell them their child is staying home sick, SchoolMessenger alerts parents when a student is absent from school after 10 a.m.

“This is a safety issue,” Price said. “If a student is skipping school or faking sick, the parents will know right away.”

SchoolMessenger came in handy during an emergency at Garden Heights Elementary last Wednesday.

“We had a situation at the school near the end of the day,” Price recalled. “A student reported seeing a middle school student on the playground with what appeared to be a gun.”

The gun turned out to be a pellet gun and the student was apprehended by police within minutes after the incident was reported. No students were injured, Price said.

“That day, we used our emergency message system to call the families of the schools involved to tell them their kids were safe and get factual information out there,” Price said. “This helped ensure there were no weekend rumors.”

For more information, call 509-766-2650.