By Ron DePasquale, Globe Correspondent
School officials in several of Boston's western suburbs are using new communications systems that allow them to make hundreds, or even thousands, of phone calls to parents almost instantaneously.
Proponents of the 'school-to-home' communications systems, which are seeing use by a growing number of districts nationwide, say they can be invaluable in reaching out to parents for both routine messages and in emergencies.
"It's quite a remarkable system. It's really something special. There's the security of parents knowing what's going on right away," said Wrentham's superintendent, Mick Janelli. Plainville and Weston are also using the systems.
School officials record a message. The systems can then forward that message to everyone in the school community or subsets of people, school officials said.
If a school bus breaks down, for example, the school can notify just those parents affected. Last-minute reminders for field trips, PTO meetings, or parent-teacher conferences can also be sent, instead of being forgotten in a 7-year-old's backpack. Teachers who are driving a long commute to work on a snowy day can be called on their cellphones and told that school has been canceled.
Officials said the systems could also be helpful in case of emergencies, such as an attack on a school or a health emergency.