District uses weather alert system to relay information
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough - Dr. Anne Towle, the town's superintendent of schools, said the district has used its ConnectEd program to alert the community about school closings and delays on three occasions already during the current academic year.

The program, which Towle called valuable resource to reach students and staff about delays and cancellations, has a few flaws, however, which the district is attempting to resolve.

ConnectEd, which came into being in Westborough during the last school year, provides the district with the ability to send a mass communiqué to students and staff should the district decide to cancel or postpone the opening of the town's six schools.

On Dec. 3, when schools opened two hours late, more than 2,000 text messages and 3,000 e-mail messages were sent through ConnectEd, announcing the delay. Because local circuits were busy, however, about 500 of the text messages did not go through to recipients as quickly as hoped, some of them taking as much as 45 minutes to reach their desired destination.

"All calls eventually got through," said Kathy Martin, director of technology for the Westborough Public Schools. "So many people have become dependent upon ConnectEd, however, that when calls don't go through, we want people to know what their options are."

Martin said if parents, students or staff are unclear about whether there is a delay or cancellation in the district they are urged to check the school department's website at www.westborough. ma.schoolwebpages.com or local television and radio stations for closing information. She strongly urged both families and staff to check out more than one source if they're unsure and did not receive a ConnectEd alert.