Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

School Communication System Adds Contact Tracing Features

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/14/20

SchoolStatus, which produces a mass notification and communication software-as-a-service platform for schools, has added functionality to enable contact tracing reporting and tracking. According to the company, the new feature follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, to help schools communicate when or if a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19.

In the case of a student, for example, the contact tracing report feature could be used to generate a list of the infected person's current schedule, the names of teachers involved, and names and ID numbers of all students who could have also come into contact. The idea is to enable school leaders to communicate to those on the contact tracing report to take precautionary measures. The system also monitors quarantine start and end dates to determine when somebody can return to school.

Communications deployed through SchoolStatus are received as one-to-one messages, enabling families to reply directly and privately with questions and concerns.

All communications are logged and recorded within the application, to maintain an audit trail of outreach activities.

"Having a single place to generate contract tracing reports and track student's COVID-19 quarantine data is critical for our district. During these tough times, every minute of every day counts." Michelle Bivens, superintendent of Pontotoc City School District, in a press release. The district has been using SchoolStatus for "multiple years," Bivens noted.

"We understand that schools will need to frequently communicate with the school community this fall. This communication needs to be more than a general mass message because guardians will have questions and need quick answers," added company CEO, Russ Davis. "We're proud to pair these new contact tracing capabilities with our two-way communication platform to ensure that the families are informed and students are safe and comfortable in their learning environment."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.