District 99 Families and Staff,

Beginning in August, all text messages sent (via our ParentSquare platform) will be delivered from 10-digit phone numbers instead of short codes. This new change will make it easier to see who is messaging you.

➡️ Why is this helpful?
This change will allow our District and schools to easily organize and distinguish between different conversations. For example, a direct message from a teacher will arrive from a different number than a post from the school office. This will help you recognize right away who is trying to reach you.

➡️ What’s changing? 
Right now, most texts come from a 5-digit number. Soon, you’ll start getting texts from regular 10-digit phone numbers for: 
✅ Direct messages
✅ Classroom posts
✅ School posts 
District posts and alerts will still come from the 5-digit number

➡️ What should I do? 
When you get a text from one of these new numbers, you can save it in your phone. For example, save it as “Ms. Davis - 4th Grade” or "Goodwin Elementary School," so you’ll recognize the number later. 

➡️ Why is this happening? 
All mobile carriers (like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile) now require this change. It helps make sure school messages are delivered without being marked as spam. 

➡️ Does this affect the app or email? 
No. If you use the ParentSquare app or email, nothing is changing for you. This only affects text messages. 

Thank you for your attention as we prepare for this update!