Communications & PR

Athens City Schools App

• CHECK YOUR SETTINGS Set you phone and app settings to RECEIVE/ALLOW Notifications. If you do not allow notifications, you may miss an alert.
• SELECT YOUR SCHOOL  Select the district and school(s) from which you wish to receive notifications (do this in "app settings").
• See Step-by-step guide to check your app and phone settings below

Check Your Settings: ACS App Smartphone Notification Setup Guide

If you are having trouble viewing the document, you may download the document.

Email
The communications office distributes appropriate and relevant district-wide email on behalf of various internal departments and parent organizations.

Media Inquiries
Media professionals interested in Athens City Schools information, interviews, photographs or video footage should contact Christy Hubbard at 256.233.6602.

Blackboard Connect Mass Notification System
Athens City Schools uses a system called Blackboard Connect, a mass notification service that allows us to contact parents and guardians by telephone, text message, email and push notification through the Athens City Schools app. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide correct and current contact information during registration/re-enrollment. Any updates, changes, or questions regarding your family’s contact information are made at the school level. Blackboard Connect may also be used by schools to send out important information, notices or reminders from principals. So that we can keep you informed, make sure your contact information is accurate and updated .

• Any changes after re-enrollment must be done at the school level (see contacts below)
• This information is gathered initially during the enrollment/re-enrollment process in SchoolMint.
• Having a current email address, SMS text number and phone number is critical in notifying you.
• Click here to sign up to receive notifications.

The contact information used to message parents, students, teachers, staff and the community originates and is maintained in the ACS Student Information System. This includes primary phone numbers, numbers that can receive text messages, email addresses, emergency contacts and physical mailing addresses. If you are having issues receiving messages, please contact your school Student Information Specialist/Secretary to verify your contact information is correct in the student data system. 

To Opt-Out

Phone calls

1. Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at "855-502-STOP (855-502-7867)".

Text (SMS) messages

• Reply STOP to any Blackboard system text or to "60680" for non-emergency messages.
• Reply STOP to "54968" to opt out of emergency messages.

Emails

• Click the unsubscribe link from any email you receive.

If you decide to opt back into messaging, please contact Christy.Hubbard@acs-k12.org or follow the instructions below.

To Opt Back In

• Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at "855-502-STOP (855-502-7867)" from the phone line that has been opted out.
• Text (SMS) messages
• Reply START to "60680" from the phone line that has been opted out for non-emergency messages.
• Reply START to "54968" for emergency messages.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE NOTE: If a parent opts out of phone calls, it is still possible that they can receive emergency phone calls. However, this depends on how the school admins sends the message. A parent who has opted-out of receiving calls will only receive an emergency call if the school admin selects "emergency" when the admin sends the message. This means we cannot guarantee a parent will still get emergency phone calls when opted-out because we cannot guarantee that every school admin will select "emergency."

School News
Each school is responsible for parent and student communication efforts. The school principal is the facilitator of all school news. Each school has the ability to use:

• Mass Communications:  Each school uses the Blackboard Connect Mass Notification System as noted in the above section. You may receive messages from the district and individual schools.  Click HERE to sign up to receive notifications.
• Newsletters:  Current parents, students and faculty and staff receive a school-wide, periodic digital newsletter from the school principals at each school. To submit school news, contact the appropriate school principal.
• Social Media:  Each school has an official Facebook account. 

• Twitter @AthensALSchools 
• Facebook at Athens City Schools
• Instagram @ Athens City Schools

We try to capture important moments on campus or to tell the district's story on the web and through social media. To watch Athens City Schools videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Athens City Schools requires that all social media pages/accounts that represent an official team, club, or organization affiliated with the school system be approved by the school principal and registered with the Office of Communications. The purpose is to ensure that all school-associated social media is managed, monitored, and maintained in a way that builds the ACS brand while providing trusted and accurate information. Athens City Schools currently only authorizes the establishment and use of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on behalf of the school system. Follow the steps below to submit your Social Media Account for approval:

• STEP 1 - Social Media Guidelines Read and agree to adhere to ACS Social Media Guidelines. Click here to view the guidelines.
• STEP 2 - Social Media Account Registration Form: Submit an online Social Media Account Registration Approval Application Form for EACH club/team/activity. Submit one application for each type of account (example: you would submit two applications if you are interested in creating a Twitter and Facebook account for your group). Application must be signed by School Principal for final approval. School Princiapl will submit the approved application to the Office of Communications.  CLICK HERE to download.
• All officially registered school social media pages/accounts must adhere to the Social Media Guidelines established by the Office of Communications. Please do not create an account until you receive confirmation from the Office of Communications.

If you have any questions or need to register your official account, please contact Christy at Christy.Hubbard@acs-k12.org or (256) 233-6602.

Website
The communications office maintains and updates the district and school websites. For questions about the website, contact the communications office 256.233.6602 or christy.hubbard@acs-k12.org.

Communications Policies
The Office of Communications must approve all school or district communications pieces (digital and print) prior to distribution. ACS email distribution lists or directory information may not be used for promotional purposes. As a policy, Athens City Schools does not promote outside events, organizations or businesses.