SchoolCentral Text Messaging FAQs

Mobile Alerts / Text Messages

What is a mobile alert?

Mobile alerts are 160-character messages delivered to your mobile phone from SchoolCentral based upon your preferences.

What types of alerts may I select?

You can receive mobile alerts and/or email alerts from your School District, School Groups or other groups you join, when you receive a message on SchoolCentral, or when a SchoolCentral calendar appointment is about 15 minutes away. Or you can choose not to receive any alerts, whether via text message or email – SchoolCentral gives you the power to choose.

How much does it cost?

SchoolCentral does not charge its Members to use its service. Standard messaging charges, however, may apply. Please consult your wireless carrier if you have questions about whether your phone is capable of receiving text messages or the cost of text messaging services.

How do I sign up for Mobile Alerts?

SchoolCentral makes it easy for its Members to decide the best way for them to send and receive alerts. One such way to send and receive alerts is via text message (SMS). To sign up for this feature:

1. Complete the registration process which includes accepting the Terms of Use and then login to your account. From your dashboard, click on “Account Settings,” then click on “Contact.” Enter your wireless number and select your carrier from the list of supported carriers. Click “Save Changes.”

2. You will receive a text message from SchoolCentral shortly after. Reply with “Y” as your text message so we can verify that you’ve entered your correct mobile number and carrier. After you do this, you’ll receive another text message from SchoolCentral notifying you that your mobile number has been validated.

How to I receive or stop receiving mobile alerts from a group?

To receive an alert by text message, go to your dashboard and click on “Settings” under the Alerts section and select the checkboxes for the type of alerts you want to receive by text message. At any time, you can change your text message alert preferences by going back to this settings page and selecting (subscribing) or deselecting (unsubscribing) TXT checkboxes next to the type of alerts you are able to receive. By deselecting all TXT checkboxes, you are unsubscribing from all alerts by text message.

How do I stop receiving all text messages?

There are two ways to stop receiving all text messages.

1. Click on “Account Settings” from your Dashboard. From there, click on “Contact,” delete your wireless number and click Save Changes;

OR

2. Reply to any text message with the word “Stop” or send “Stop” to SCHOOL (724665).

How do I send alerts from my desktop computer as a group owner?

Go to Groups and click on the group you would like to send alerts to. From the Group Dashboard, click on the text box and type your alert up to 160 characters. Click “Send Alert,” and click “Ok” if you are sure you want to send an alert to your entire group.

How do I send alerts from my mobile device as a group owner?

1. From your desktop computer, set up an abbreviation for your group from your group alerts settings. Go to Groups and click on the group you would like to set up an abbreviation for. From the Group Dashboard, click on “Want to send alerts from your phone?” Type a short but memorable abbreviation and click “Save.”

2. From your mobile, send a text message to SCHOOL (724665) with the first character of the message as a dollar sign ($) and the next characters as your abbreviation, a space, and then your alert message to a maximum of 160 characters including the $ and the group abbreviation. After you send the message, it will be received by your group members either by email, text message or both depending on their preferences.

How can I post to my news section from a text message?

You also can post to your news section also by sending a message to SCHOOL (724665) with the first character of the message as an at sign (@) and the rest as your brief news post. This message will post to your news in your profile.