By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster parents will be able to get up-to-date information about everything from Board of Education meetings to school emergencies through a pair of notification systems being utilized for the upcoming school year.

Alabaster City Schools is offering the Notify Me and Blackboard Connect systems to help quickly distribute information to parents via email and text messages. The Notify Me program is offered through the ACS website at Alabasterschools.org, and was part of the school system’s agreement with the School in Sites company, which built the website.

Through the Notify Me program, parents can sign up to receive emails and text messages each time information is updated on the website. When subscribing, parents can choose to receive updates on buses, general information, weather-related news, job listings and board meetings.

Although the Alabaster School System formed on July 1, the district already has more than 1,000 people signed up for the Notify Me system, Alabaster School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said on July 24.

The Alabaster School System also is using the Blackboard Connect system to quickly contact parents in emergency or short-notice situations. The system is the same used by the Shelby County Schools for the same purpose.

Through the system, Alabaster City Schools officials can quickly distribute text messages to parents during emergency situations.

Parents can sign up for Blackboard Connect at their children’s schools, Vickers said.