About SchoolMessenger 

SchoolMessenger provides over 63,000 schools in North America with the tools needed to reach every parent or guardian across voice, text, email, and social media messaging, and provides automatic translations for over 100 languages. The tested and proven platform effectively supports emergency alerts, paperless permission forms and waivers, and integrates with over 130 established systems, all through a simple, easy to use interface. SchoolMessenger’s attendance management capabilities make it easier for parents to communicate absences, resulting in fewer unexplained absences and enhanced student safety. Designed to work together from the start, SchoolMessenger’s communication systems save administrators and educators time, and provide more immediate, thorough engagement with parents and students.

Frequently Asked Questions

• I am a PowerSchool customer
• I am a SchoolMessenger customer
• I am not a customer

I am a PowerSchool customer

Q: What was announced?  

A: We are very excited to announce that PowerSchool has completed the acquisition of SchoolMessenger, a leading provider of K-12 communication solutions in North America. PowerSchool’s acquisition of SchoolMessenger from their parent company, West Technology Group, provides families with the most comprehensive and consolidated platform to support better student outcomes. 

Q: Tell me more about SchoolMessenger?  

A: SchoolMessenger is a leading provider of K-12 communication tools in North America and is used to reach every parent across voice, text, email & social media messaging, and provides automatic translations for over 100 languages. The tested and proven platform effectively supports emergency alerts, paperless permission forms and waivers, and integrates with over 130 established systems, all through a simple, easy to use interface. SchoolMessenger’s attendance management capabilities make it easier for parents to communicate absences, resulting in few unexplained absences and enhanced student safety.  

Q: How will this help PowerSchool customers?
A: PowerSchool’s acquisition of SchoolMessenger supports the expansion of My PowerSchool, designed to be the most comprehensive education collaboration platform on the market. The addition of SchoolMessenger’s capabilities ensures centralized access to reliable mass communication and emergency messaging, alongside two-way communication functionality. This, coupled with My PowerSchool’s consolidated view of student grades, schedules, and attendance provides a single experience to track their learning progress and receive relevant communication. Educators also benefit from the increased ability to communicate with families in support of personalized learning. 

Current and future PowerSchool customers will also benefit from increased efficiency and security with more unified communication processes, including the ability to: 

• Save time with trusted integration (SchoolMessenger is embedded directly into PowerSchool SIS) 
• Simplify the parent experience with a centralized / singular user experience 
• Increase security and minimize risks with tightly connected systems 

Q: What will this mean for SchoolMessenger customers?
A: SchoolMessenger customers and partners can now benefit from increased investment in and development of their existing platform as well as deepening integration with PowerSchool’s award-winning solutions. PowerSchool is committed to continue the support of existing interoperability between SchoolMessenger and other systems not owned by PowerSchool. Customers’ investments in SchoolMessenger are also protected with this combination and will grow in value and innovation over time.  

Q: What is the combined PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger product roadmap?   

A: Thanks to a long-standing partnership, PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger already have deep integrations that increase security and save educators’ time. PowerSchool customers will now have the opportunity to explore the addition of SchoolMessenger’s powerful K-12 communication offerings: Communication (including its newest release, Chat), Presence, SafeArrival, PermissionClick, and CustomApp.  Our development teams are working on future roadmap items that will essentially fall into one of four categories: 

• Deepening integration between PowerSchool products and SchoolMessenger 
• Ongoing support for and enhancement of integrations between SchoolMessenger and products not owned by PowerSchool 

• New features and functionality to be added to SchoolMessenger 
• Enhancement and update of existing features and functionality within SchoolMessenger 

Please be on the lookout for additional roadmap-related details in the near future. 

Q: Will the same people who support my products today continue to deliver support and current implementation projects?   

A: Yes.  It is business as usual so please continue to work with your existing support, project managers and other contacts in the respective companies. 

I am a SchoolMessenger customer

Q: What was announced?
A: We are very excited to announce that PowerSchool, a leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, has completed the acquisition of SchoolMessenger. PowerSchool’s acquisition of SchoolMessenger from their parent company, West Technology Group, provides families with the most comprehensive and consolidated platform to support better student outcomes. 

Q: What can you tell me about PowerSchool? 

A: PowerSchool is a leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America. Its mission is to empower educators, administrators, and families to ensure personalized education for every student journey. PowerSchool offers end-to-end product clouds that connect the central office to the classroom to the home with award-winning products including Schoology Learning and Naviance CCLR, so school districts can securely manage student data, enrollment, attendance, grades, instruction, assessments, human resources, talent, professional development, special education, data analytics and insights, communications, and college and career readiness. PowerSchool supports over 50 million students in more than 90 countries and over 16,000 customers, including more than 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States. Learn more at powerschoolstg.powerschool.com. 

Q: Why did PowerSchool purchase SchoolMessenger? 

A: PowerSchool’s acquisition of SchoolMessenger represents PowerSchool’s commitment to empower educators, administrators, and families to ensure personalized education for every student journey. The acquisition supports the expansion of My PowerSchool, designed to be the most comprehensive education collaboration platform on the market. Adding SchoolMessenger’s trusted communication platform to My PowerSchool will ensure centralized access to reliable mass communication and emergency messaging, alongside two-way communication capabilities, so that schools and districts can provide parents with timely updates on a wide variety of topics. Current and future PowerSchool customers will also benefit from increased efficiency and security with more unified communication processes. SchoolMessenger customers and partners will benefit from increased investment in and development of their existing platform as well as deepening integration with PowerSchool’s award-winning solutions.  

Q: Will the platform still be known as SchoolMessenger? 

A: Moving forward, you will begin to see SchoolMessenger referred to as “PowerSchool SchoolMessenger” in emails, at educational conferences, etc. 

Q: Will I need to add any PowerSchool products to access my existing SchoolMessenger products?
A: PowerSchool remains committed to open standards-based and out-of-the-box integrations, and you can continue to use your existing solutions and integrations, as there is no requirement to switch to or add any additional PowerSchool solutions.  PowerSchool has a long history of continuing to support existing integrations between acquired products and non-PowerSchool SIS products. 

Q: How does the addition of SchoolMessenger support PowerSchool’s mission?
A: By adding SchoolMessenger’s trusted communication platform to PowerSchool, educators will be better equipped to increase overall family engagement and support of student success thanks to centralized access to trusted communication tools to help strengthen engagement between home and school. 

Q: What does this mean for PowerSchool’s and SchoolMessenger’s products and customers? 

A: The addition of SchoolMessenger’s capabilities to My PowerSchool ensures centralized access to reliable mass communication and emergency messaging, alongside two-way communication capabilities, so that schools and districts can provide parents with timely updates on a wide variety of topics. Current and future PowerSchool customers will also benefit from increased efficiency and security with more integrated communication processes, including the ability to: 

• Save time with trusted integration (SchoolMessenger is embedded directly into PowerSchool SIS) 
• Simplify the parent experience with a centralized / singular user experience 
• Increase security and minimize risks with tightly connected systems 

Q: What if I use GroupCast, SchoolMessenger’s communication platform for non-K-12 education customers? 

A: PowerSchool will continue to administer the GroupCast platform to non-K-12 education customers.  Please continue to work with your existing customer success manager, services, and support contacts with any additional questions or concerns. 

Q: How does SchoolMessenger currently integrate with PowerSchool’s solutions?
A: SchoolMessenger is embedded into the PowerSchool SIS so you never have to leave PowerSchool to send messages or access your lists. By using your saved searches and selections inside PowerSchool you can quickly find the exact students, parents, and guardians you want to message.  

School Messenger will also integrate with our My PowerSchool, designed to be the most comprehensive education collaboration platform on the market. By adding SchoolMessenger’s trusted communication platform to My PowerSchool educators are better equipped to increase overall family engagement and support student success. 

We encourage you to reach out to your PowerSchool representative if you are interested in scheduling a time to learn more about PowerSchool’s full suite of industry-leading products. 

Q: What is the combined PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger product roadmap?
A: Thanks to a long-standing partnership, PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger already have deep integrations that increase security and save educators’ time.  PowerSchool will continue to support SchoolMessenger’s existing offerings: Communication (including its newest release, Chat), Presence, SafeArrival, PermissionClick, and CustomApp.  Our development teams are working on future roadmap items that will essentially fall into one of four categories: 

• Deepening integration between PowerSchool products and SchoolMessenger
• Ongoing support for and enhancement of integrations between SchoolMessenger and products not owned by PowerSchool 
• New features and functionality to be added to SchoolMessenger 
• Enhancement and update of existing features and functionality within SchoolMessenger 
• Integration into My PowerSchool, designed to be the most comprehensive education collaboration platform 

Please be on the lookout for additional roadmap-related details in the near future.  

Q: How does PowerSchool plan to support SchoolMessenger customers?
A: Our focus during this transition is on you, our customer. We will work hard to ensure complete continuity when working with our combined organization. The SchoolMessenger team will be joining PowerSchool, and you can continue to work with your existing customer success manager, services, and support contacts. We strive for customer excellence — so our team will work diligently to achieve the highest levels of innovation, support, and services going forward. 

Q: Will the same people who support my SchoolMessenger products today continue to deliver services, implementation, and support?
A: The SchoolMessenger team will be joining PowerSchool, and customers can expect very little change to the individuals they have been used to working with. You can continue to work with your existing customer success managers, services, implementation, and support contacts.  We are committed to ensuring all in-flight sales opportunities, service discussions, implementations, and support inquiries will proceed unimpeded as a result of the close of this acquisition. 

Q: Are the invoicing and payment processes changed for me as a SchoolMessenger customer?
A: For the time being, the biggest change will be the new dual logo on our invoices. Otherwise, the invoicing and payment processes should be business as usual. Please continue to direct payments based on the instructions included on your invoices while we work in the background to align our tools and systems. In the coming months, we will integrate all aspects of the SchoolMessenger business into our existing finance and accounting processes. We will keep you updated as changes and improvements are made. We strive to make this a seamless experience for you, our valued customers. Please contact billing@schoolmessenger.com should you have any questions.

I am not a customer

If you’d like to find out more about how PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger can benefit your K-12 school or district, contact us at:  

• 877-873-1550  
• sales@powerschool.com 
• powerschool.com/company/contact