An iPhone app recently released by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been getting rave reviews, but not all staff, students, and community members are able to access it.
The app features up-to-date news and event information, as well as an alert system that lets users know about school closures and bus delays. Users can also send in feedback or gain access to the district’s social media pages.
The app can be navigated through tabs at the bottom which are labelled by category. For example, clicking on the Buses tab shows a list of schools whose buses have been delayed, how many minutes they have been delayed by, and whether they are the buses going to school or from school.
Jennifer Adams, the board’s director of education, explained in a press release that the app is a natural next step in communicating with those involved in the education system.
“We are constantly seeking new ways to ensure our students, staff and community members are informed and engaged,” she added.
Some, however, have been left out of the loop.
Kelly Mills, an office administrator at Featherstone Elementary School, says she found the app useful and relevant. Many of her colleagues have made use of the app after hearing about it from her, but only those with iPhones can download it. Those with Android or Blackberry phones, she says, are missing out.
Although the same information can be accessed on computers or other smart phones through the OCDSB website, Mills finds the app to be more convenient. It would be great if all staff could access it, she says.
Many at Lisgar Collegiate Institute have the same problem. Vice-principal Bruce Summers says the majority of administration staff at his school has Android phones. But he isn’t worried about the inaccessibility, he adds, because developing an Android app is a natural progression for the school district.
Currently, however, there is no Android app in development, explains Lauren Peddle, communications co-ordinator for the school board. Though the school district aims to make the app accessible to all, future development depends on the current app’s success and on funding.
“If the app is successful, we hope to move on to other devices,” Peddle says.
In the first two weeks after the app’s release, more than 700 people downloaded it. This number reflects an even mix of students, staff, and parents, explains Peddle. “Staff members are seeing the usefulness of it, but students see the functionality of it as well.”
Officials say the app has also received community support and feedback.
One such community member is John Marshall. With two children in the OCDSB school system and one just graduated, Marshall says he was eager to try the app.
“I have found that communication from the (school board) has been a bit spotty at times,” he says, adding the website can be hard to navigate and slow to be updated. “This app is a big improvement from the communications perspective. It’s clean, intuitive, and seems to be updated as close to real time as can be expected.”
Taking the feedback into account, the school district plans to release an improved version within the next few weeks.