SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Oxbridge Academy
Parents, teachers, staff, and the wider community all need to get the right information at precisely the right time.
As a relatively newer, top-tier private school in West Palm Beach, Florida, Oxbridge Academy places a high value on staying connected, but its previous mass notification system was starting to show its age.
Oxbridge was encountering issues with efficiency, struggling to maintain consistent communications, and finding it difficult to reach people through their preferred channels.
At a Glance
Serving grades 6–12, Oxbridge Academy is a private, coeducational middle and high school in West Palm Beach, Florida,
The Challenge
While Oxbridge relied on its student information system (SIS) for many operations, it wasn't an ideal solution for mass notifications. Juggling different systems and struggling to maintain consistent messaging was a real challenge, and because the schools needed to use multiple platforms, it created inefficiencies and made it difficult to ensure consistent messaging across all channels.
"We were in so many different places, trying to communicate similar things," shared Oxbridge’s Advancement Coordinator, Jackson Conner.
But one of the biggest issues was how much time it all took. Whether it was Jackson or another staff member, sending notifications through their SIS was a cumbersome process that relied too much on muscle memory and institutional knowledge.
"It was time-consuming, and being able to do it repeatedly in a short amount of time was a challenge,” said Jackson, adding that the situation was made worse because, to his knowledge, the system couldn’t send simultaneous notifications to different constituent groups. "I could not figure out a way for me to send an SMS message to both parents and faculty at the same time," explained Jackson. “In many circumstances, we are communicating with everybody," which meant multiplying the workload and introducing more steps.
Oxbridge needed a better way to handle mass notifications: a system that would save time, simplify their workflow, and allow them to connect with their community through a user’s preferred channels, whether it was text, email, voice, or other modalities like mobile app notifications.
“Being able to switch over to Messages XR has made it much easier for us to communicate with everybody ... With all these different avenues of communication, we have a much more efficient process."
JACKSON CONNER
ADVANCEMENT COORDINATOR
The Solution
Considering the school already used Finalsite’s content management system, Composer, to successfully manage its website, Oxbridge made the move to Messages XR, Finalsite’s mass notification solution.
As an integrated platform, Messages XR was a natural extension that allowed Oxbridge to create and distribute messages through multiple channels in just a few clicks. The time-saving benefits quickly became apparent, Jackson noted.
Messages XR allowed the school to create a message once and distribute it through various channels, eliminating repetitive tasks and reducing the time required to send information to families.
Jackson also pointed out how easy the system is to use when emailing the weekly athletic schedules, or sending an SMS and mobile app notification to alert parents that the latest newsletter is available: "You set up your email and then set up the text to go out at the same time,” Jackson explained. “I can't tell you how many emails and text messages we’ve sent to our audience,” he laughed. “It's helped quite a bit, especially when you have different staff who need to send out communications.”
In Florida, where snow days aren’t a concern, the weather can still be unpredictable. Jackson’s team uses Messages XR for lightning alerts, keeping families informed and safe until the severe weather passes.
And for planned events, like emergency drills, they use the system to send reminders before, during, and after for clarity and to avoid unnecessary concern.
"Being able to switch over to Messages XR has made it much easier for us to communicate with everybody, not only via email, but via text message or voice memo. With all these different avenues of communication, we have a much more efficient process."
The Results
Switching to Finalsite’s mass notification system has been a significant improvement for Oxbridge, not only streamlining staff workflows but also enhancing communication effectiveness.
Messages XR has reduced the time required to send announcements, which is crucial when dealing with time-sensitive situations like school events, schedule changes, or emergencies. "We've been utilizing it much more frequently this year," Jackson added, "and there's definitely been an appreciation in terms of how quickly the messages are getting delivered."
Oxbridge can now reach families through multiple channels, increasing the likelihood that messages are received. Furthermore, because Messages XR integrates with Oxbridge’s SIS, contact lists are automatically updated with the most current information, resulting in delivery rates at or near 100%.
As Jackson pointed out, they're now meeting parents’ expectations. “Our community has been very appreciative of the transparency and communication since we’re sending text messages,” Jackson said, and that kind of positive feedback is significant.
“As the years have gone on, what's been great about working with Finalsite is how the system condenses everything into one place, having everything talk to each other, and how all the tools are user-friendly, even for those without a lot of technical background. Being able to manage everything within a single platform has been extremely beneficial."
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