Parents of Fort Gibson Public School students will have a new line of communication with teachers and administrators when the 2008-2009 school year starts in August.

Superintendent Derald Glover said the district will begin testing the AlertNow Rapid Communications System during the next couple of weeks. The system is expected to be fully operational beginning July 1.

The instant communication alert system, Glover said, will provide parents with school announcements, closings and emergency alerts by telephone and computer.

“This is a system we have been considering for a while,” Glover said about AlertNow Rapid Communications. “We were looking for the means of communications that would allow us to get immediate word to parents about the school.”

Glover said school officials are compiling contact information into a database that will be used to disseminate information to parents. With AlertNow, the messages can be sent by e-mail, voice mail and text messages.

AlertNow, a Raleigh, N.C.,-based company that gears its services toward school districts, touts the rapid notification system as a tool to increase parental involvement at school.

According to the National Education Association, increased parental involvement improves a student’s educational experience and reduces absenteeism.

Cindy Peterson, who has three children enrolled in Fort Gibson Public Schools, said she is looking forward to seeing the system up and running.

“I think it is a good investment for the school,” Peterson said. “Some kids don’t always make it home with the papers they are supposed to bring, so this should help to make sure the messages make it home.”

Glover said the system primarily will be used to notify parents of emergencies and school closings, but will also be used to distribute information about school events.

“We don’t want to turn it into a telemarketing device — that could undermine its effectiveness and reduce the sense of urgency,” Glover said. “Letting everybody know what’s going on when there is an emergency is critical to avoiding panic.”

Glover said the system will cost the district about $3 a year for each student enrolled. He said the system will supplement information dissemination devices already used: newspapers and the district’s Web site.

Parents who have not done so already should complete the form provided for the rapid notification program. It is available online and at Fort Gibson schools.

Reach D.E. Smoot at 684-2903 or dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com.