This year, Lexington Public Schools introduced StudentSquare, a new communication platform designed to send school-related messages directly to students. The platform, which is part of the district’s existing ParentSquare system, aims to make school communication faster, clearer, and more secure.
According to Thomas Martellone, the LPS Director of Technology and Innovation, the district began searching for a new communication tool several years ago. At the time, LPS relied on Blackboard Connect, which, according to Martellone, “didn’t really keep up with the times.” The switch to ParentSquare offered stronger language translation features and improved accessibility, enabling the district to communicate more effectively with families in Lexington’s diverse community.
StudentSquare, which is built into ParentSquare, was seen as a natural next step. The platform addresses a long-standing concern: in the past, students were often asked to check social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook for updates about clubs and sports. Martellone explained that schools should not require students to use platforms without student data privacy agreements. StudentSquare solves this issue by operating under the same privacy protections as ParentSquare.
Through StudentSquare, students can receive messages by email, through the app, or via text message. Students can also customize how they want to receive messages, depending on what works best for them. With parent permission, students can opt in to SMS notifications, making it easier to receive time-sensitive updates such as snow days, delays, and emergency alerts.
The platform also simplifies communication within clubs, sports teams, and other school groups. Using StudentSquare, coaches and advisors can create groups and send announcements without sharing personal phone numbers.
Lexington High School Principal Andrew Baker believes StudentSquare will be especially useful during emergency situations.
“If students have notifications coming through on their phone or via text message, it will help to get messages out fast,” Baker said.
However, the district acknowledges that StudentSquare comes with challenges. One anticipated concern is overuse. Martellone and Baker both stressed that the platform should be used thoughtfully, especially since students are expected to put away their phones during class. Another issue is participation: so far, about 115 students have signed up out of approximately 2,500 students at LHS.
The district plans to continue encouraging families to sign up and may provide guidance to help students manage their notification settings. Martellone hopes that as more students begin using StudentSquare and experience its benefits, participation will grow.
“My hope would be that this tool will be able to provide communications to students […] and therefore they feel like they’re more informed [about] what happens in the school and the school community,” Martellone said.
