Agenda Item
a. SchoolMessenger Communication Platform with PowerSchool (Not to exceed $117,429.30)
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Kermit Belcher, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information and Instructional Technology
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve the School Messenger communication platform provided by PowerSchool for the contract period April 1, 2026, through March 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $117,429.30.
Why: The purpose of this agenda item is to support the Division of Information and Instructional Technology (DIIT) and district leadership in maintaining a centralized, reliable communication platform for district-wide, school-based, and emergency messaging. SchoolMessenger serves as the district’s primary outbound communication tool, ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent communication with families, students, and staff across multiple channels. Continued use of this platform is essential to support operational continuity, family engagement, and emergency preparedness.
Details: SchoolMessenger is a comprehensive mass communication solution designed specifically for K-12 school districts. The platform enables district and school administrators to deliver routine notifications, attendance-related messaging, and urgent alerts through a single, centrally managed system.
Key Services:
District-wide mass notification capabilities via voice, email, text, and mobile app
Emergency notification and alerting functionality
Targeted messaging by school, departments, grade levels, or defined groups
Integration with the district’s student information system for automated contact updates
Delivery tracking, reporting, and audit history
Multilingual communication support to improve accessibility for families
Financial impact: $117,429.30
General Fund
100.1000.553200.00011.7600.9990.0308.070.0000
Contact: Dr. Kermit Belcher, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information and Instructional Technology, 678.676.1274
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Chronology- SchoolMessenger
The Division of Information and Instructional Technology (DIIT) seeks approval to continue using
the SchoolMessenger communication platform to support districtwide, school-based, and
emergency communications across the DeKalb County School District (DCSD).
SchoolMessenger serves as the district’s centralized outbound communication system, enabling
consistent, timely, and reliable delivery of information to families, students, and staff. The
platform supports routine operational communications, such as attendance notifications and
school announcements, as well as urgent messaging related to weather events, safety
incidents, and schedule changes. Centralizing these communications ensures message
consistency, improves delivery reliability, and supports accountability through reporting and
delivery verification.
The platform integrates directly with the district’s student information system, keeping contact
information up to date and reducing the need for manual data maintenance at the school or
department level. This integration enables targeted messaging by school, grade level,
classroom, or defined user groups, ensuring communications are relevant, appropriately
directed, and minimize unnecessary messaging. Multichannel delivery options, including voice
calls, email, text messaging, and mobile application notifications help ensure messages reach
recipients through their preferred communication method.
SchoolMessenger has been fully implemented and is operational districtwide, supported by
vendor-hosted infrastructure and system management provided by PowerSchool. Continued
authorization ensures uninterrupted access to this mission-critical platform and maintains the
district’s ability to communicate effectively during both routine operations and emergency
situations.
Key Services:
● Districtwide Mass Notification
Enables centralized delivery of high-volume communications to all schools and
departments via voice calls, email, text messages, and mobile app notifications.
● Emergency and Critical Incident Alerting
Supports rapid dissemination of time-sensitive information during emergencies, weather
events, safety incidents, and operational disruptions to ensure timely awareness and
response.
● Targeted and Segmented Messaging
Allows communications to be directed by school, departments, grade levels, or defined
groups improving message relevance and reducing over-communication.
● Student Information System Integration
Integrates with the district’s SIS to automate contact updates, ensure data accuracy, and
eliminate redundant manual data entry.
● Delivery Tracking and Reporting
Provides real-time delivery status, reporting, and audit history to support accountability,
compliance, and post-event review.
● Multilingual Communication Support
Offers translation and multilingual messaging capabilities to improve accessibility and
ensure equitable communication with families across the district.
● Vendor-Hosted Infrastructure and System Management
Includes cloud-based hosting, platform maintenance, and system support to ensure
reliability, scalability, and high availability.
The continuation of SchoolMessenger supports the district’s overall communication strategy by
maintaining a reliable, scalable platform that promotes clear information sharing, strengthens
family engagement, and supports emergency preparedness and operational continuity.
Procurement:
In accordance with Board of Education Purchasing Policy DJE III.D.3.d., the Purchasing
Department shall be authorized to make purchases through inter-governmental and educational
cooperatives, alliances, and consortiums to achieve cost savings and administrative efficiencies
based on economies of scale. Therefore, this purchase with PowerSchool will utilize TIPS (The
Interlocal Purchasing System) cooperative purchasing contract – 210101 (Technology Solutions,
Products, and Services).
Financial Impact:
Year Cost
2024 $99,567.30 (12 month term)
2025 $82,385.43 (9 month term)
2026 $117,429.30 (12 month term)requested