CRCS Addresses ParentSquare Concerns

By Joshua Walther

COBLESKILL - During the regular CRCS Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, a member of the public spoke up against using the ParentSquare application as the school’s sole communication platform.

The Cobleskill parents voiced their concerns about the fire evacuation last month, as they were unaware of the emergency because they could not access their email at the time.

She continued by stating that ParentSquare is a largely unknown, and thus unreliable, platform for parents that either cannot or do not have technology readily available at any time, and she asked for an alternative solution for those people.

The idea was quickly jumped on by many Board members. Jason Gagnon agreed, saying that the process can be quite confusing for anyone not tied to their computer or phone.

Member Aimee Yorke voiced the opposite, believing that when it comes to emergencies, it’s up to the school to prioritize safety over communication and that “things just happen sometimes.”

Superintendent Matthew Sickles backed Mrs. Yorke, though he simultaneously acknowledged that ParentSquare is new to everyone, staff included. He shared an anecdote that his voice mail on the day of the fire evacuation only reached thirty eight people due to how the application was set up.

“It was a good chance to look at what we do,” he said, noting that no matter how much training someone has, it’s always put to the test during a real situation. “We are working through the ParentSquare learning curve, but it will continue to be the fundamental platform for communication.”

Finally, he reiterated on Mrs. Yorke’s claim, stating “We will communicate to the parents to the best of our ability, but it won’t always be perfect.”

As the meeting progressed, the Board also gave a brief update on the Citizens’ Budget Committee, explaining that they’ve increased the amount of meetings per cycle from three to four.

“The additional meeting is key,” said Board President Bruce Tryon, and he elaborated that there was often more feedback than actual meeting time.

Superintendent Sickles also said that there were more ways to be involved in the process than just the Citizens’ Budget Committee, and encouraged anyone to write an email or leave a message with the district about budget feedback.