The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is shying away from X since it doesn’t reach parents as well anymore and is instead pushing its own new app.
It will only use the X social media platform for more urgent matters like school closures or if its website is down. Whereas its account on Facebook will have posts about Kindergarten registration and information on initiatives like fundraising for Beyond Borders. It will also continue to use Instagram and LinkedIn.
The app is called UG Connect and was launched Oct. 4 along with the board’s revamped website. It had an app by the same name since 2019 but now updated information on the website goes straight to the app.
UG Connect has been downloaded by 5,000 users and the board wants to see these numbers up to increase its communication.
On the app users have a live feed curated to their choice of adding the board and different schools within it. Notifications can be turned on for individual schools and the board so staff, students and parents can be sooner notified.
The board wanted to make sure it had good communications tools in place before it switched to a new app.
Individual schools with accounts on X didn’t receive direction on how or if it uses the platform still. It’s up to the schools to decide if and how it uses social media.
UGDSB took note when X’s trust and safety staff were fired, said Heather Loney, UGDSB communications manager. She's seen the changes to X's block feature and with it brings harassment concerns. X accounts a user has blocked can still view their posts.
She noted the significant change in audience X has had in the last couple years and in the future things could change with schools on the site. X isn’t a platform where the board is effectively reaching families anymore, she said.
On social media sites, including X, comments have been disabled since the board doesn’t have the people to monitor and respond to everyone.
In emergencies the board will continue to reach parents and caregivers through direct lines of communication like phone and email.
As for the future of the app Loney said more information on programming could become available. An example she gave was for food days, when a specific food is being offered, it can show the schedule of when the days are.
