2,014 parents, staff, students and community members have been using their phones as another platform to access the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District events and activities.

School district liaison Pegge Erkeneff headed development of the platform, which among other avenues allows users to subscribe to school calendar information, sports scores and schedules, social media sites and communications updates.

“Recognizing trends in social technology and the unprecedented use of smartphones and tablet devices, KPBSD elected to become part of the mobile sphere to better connect and collaborate with the majority of our school families, staff, students, and community members,” said Erkeneff in a school district press release. “We were one of the first school districts in Alaska to offer a mobile app for our parents and community.”

The decision was made in conjunction with former Superintendent Steve Atwater and the Information Services Department to move forward with integrating the application, Erkeneff said. General funds were used to purchase the collaboration with the Blackboard Mobile Communications App company, formerly ParentLink.

The development process took several months, Erkeneff said. The school district has continuously added updates since the app launched, she said.

Payments can be made toward meals and activity fees through the app, and emergency notifications can be received. Parents can monitor their children’s grade and assignment requirements, and receive alerts if their students grades drop below a “self-selected threshold,” according to the school district website.

The app can be downloaded for free through Googe Play and the iTunes App Store. An online video tutorial is available on the school district website at kpbsd.k12.ak.us.

Kelly Sullivan is a reporter for the Peninsula Clarion and can be reached at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.