Why does School Signals require parent consent for communication?

​School Signals believes families must have a clear and active role in how they receive school communication.

Some school communication tools allow messages to be sent using contact information already on file, leaving consent practices to individual schools or districts. While this can make initiating communication faster, it also places responsibility on the school to ensure it is meeting applicable communication and privacy laws.
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For example, regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act place restrictions on how automated calls and text messages can be sent, particularly when prior consent is required. Schools may assume that having a parent’s phone number on file is sufficient, but that does not always meet legal standards for certain types of communication.
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Email communication is governed differently. Under the CAN-SPAM Act, schools can typically send informational emails without prior opt-in, as long as they clearly identify the sender and provide a way for recipients to opt out. Because of this, email is often treated as a default communication method, even when families have not actively chosen to participate.
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As a result, when consent is not clearly established or documented schools may unknowingly expose themselves to compliance risks or inconsistent communication practices.

In School Signals, parent consent is required for ongoing communication and engagement.
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To support communication with families who have not activated their accounts, School Signals limits outreach to a single daily summary email.
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In urgent situations, such as safety or critical alerts, communication is sent to all families, including inactive accounts, in alignment with applicable communication regulations.

By combining consent-based participation with the ability to send necessary school communications, School Signals helps schools reduce that risk while creating a more transparent and intentional communication environment.

This approach supports:

Rather than assuming participation, School Signals helps schools build it—creating a stronger foundation for consistent, two-way communication.