Blackboard Connect is a communication tool used by several school districts to notify parents about school happenings.

It was used during Monday’s lock down at Jefferson-Scranton Elementary School.

Superintendent Tim Christensen says that this is their first year with the program.  Last year, the district used One Notify that is no longer in business.  He states that Blackboard Connect, through their student-information program called Infinite Campus, only allows students’ parents to be sign up for the program.

“You have to have a child in school to be part of that and you’re automatically signed up.  If you are in our student information system as a parent or guardian, you’re in the system.  So right now, the public does not have to ability to sign up for that.”

He explains that when a message for a late-start, no school or in Monday’s case, a lock down happened, parents will receive a message either by phone, text message or email letting them know there’s a notification from the district.

Christensen describes the message that was sent out to parents on Monday.

“We sent a message to our parents of elementary students that we had a lock down at the elementary building.  That the police were dealing with a situation up the street.  And then also sent another message of an all clear when the lock down was lifted.”

Monday’s message was intended to let parents know what was happening and that it was nothing related to the district itself, but the lock down was taken as a preventative measure.