Are there text message privacy laws for schools?

There are. The two main regulations to keep in mind when it comes to privacy and texting are the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The FERPA act simply states that a student's information should be kept private. In other words, only those who have a legitimate need to see the student's data should be able to. FERPA regulations do not apply to prospective students. TCPA laws are much broader. They are not specific to education and apply to everyone, whether they're current students, parents, alumni, or even school applicants. It's also a best practice to keep all regulations currently in place for phone call and email communications and apply them to all texting communications as well. You can read more about these laws here.

How can text messaging improve our school's communication?

Text messaging creates a direct line to parents, students, and staff that's actually read. With a 98% open rate, your important messages get seen quickly, unlike emails that get buried in inboxes or voice messages that go unchecked. Text-Em-All helps you communicate schedule changes, emergency notifications, event reminders, and daily updates in a format people prefer. Our platform tracks delivery so you know exactly who received your message, making it the most reliable way to ensure critical information reaches your school community.

What types of messages can schools send through Text-Em-All?

Our platform works for all kinds of school communications - from emergency alerts and weather closings to routine reminders. You can send updates about schedule changes, coordinate parent-teacher conferences, remind students about upcoming assignments, notify about athletic events, send fundraising information, fill substitute teaching positions, or broadcast campus security alerts. The system works wonderfully for both everyday communication and those urgent situations when you need to reach everyone immediately.

What makes Text-Em-All different from other texting services for schools?

We've designed Text-Em-All specifically with schools in mind. Our platform combines powerful mass messaging capabilities with user-friendly interfaces that don't require technical expertise. We offer detailed delivery tracking so you know who received your messages, two-way conversation capabilities for meaningful engagement, automated opt-out management to maintain compliance, and reliable service that works when you need it most. Unlike generic messaging platforms, we understand the unique communication challenges schools face and provide features that address those specific needs.

TEXTING FOR SCHOOLS

Text messaging for schools: communicate beyond the classroom

Our text messaging service helps teachers, staff, and administrators share essential updates that drive student success, support safety, and keep families informed.

This is not a service for students looking to message friends or parents.

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Reach the right people, fast

Skip the phone trees and backpack notes. Instantly reach teachers, staff, parents, and even entire grade levels with important updates they won’t miss.

Improve schoolwide coordination

Texting helps administrators, teachers, and faculty stay connected, organized, and ready to act when plans change.

Save time and stay on budget

Streamline conversations and get key messages to your team in minutes for a low cost and with minimal effort.

Here are some good ideas:

School closures

Substitute messaging

Severe weather

On-campus emergencies

Schedule changes

Early dismissal

Rumor control

Meeting reminders

Policy reminders

2-way texting

Mass messaging is great, but one-on-one replies matter. Text-Em-All includes an inbox so staff can engage directly with students or parents when needed.

Personalization

Generic texts won’t cut it. Easily add names or details to messages for a personal touch that feels thoughtful and relevant. Text-Em-All makes it easy to add custom details with just a click.

Cross-device functionality

Send texts from your phone or desktop—your messages sync automatically, so you never send a duplicate or miss a reply.

Privacy

Text-Em-All protects your data and complies with FERPA. Plus, you’ll text from a dedicated number, so teachers never have to share — or text from — their personal phones.

Affordability

With flexible plans and transparent pricing, Text-Em-All gives you a powerful school text messaging service at a cost that fits your school’s budget.

Scalability

From single classrooms to entire districts, Text-Em-All grows with your school. Manage large contact lists and message thousands with ease.

Add your contacts, and let us do the rest

Manually add contacts to a broadcast or upload a list. We’ll automatically identify non-textable numbers.

Create your message and instantly send it to your entire list

Choose a voice, text, or a combo message, schedule it for now or later, and send it to your full list or a specific group.

Engage contacts with 2-way text conversations

Get responses in real time and reply 1-on-1 to answer questions, follow up, or clarify next steps.

Understand results with detailed analytics & reporting

See robust delivery details, easy-to-read survey graphs, and detailed reports on account and broadcast activity.

SMS for student updates

Students in extracurricular activities or special programs can receive SMS reminders about meetings, assignments, or changes in scheduling.

SMS to parents

Quickly notify parents about weather-related closures, medical updates, or important school announcements.

SMS for school staff

Coordinate with school staff quickly through group SMS messages, whether it's for scheduling meetings, staff events, or announcements.

Frequently asked questions

Are there text message privacy laws for schools?

There are. The two main regulations to keep in mind when it comes to privacy and texting are the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

The FERPA act simply states that a student's information should be kept private. In other words, only those who have a legitimate need to see the student’s data should be able to. FERPA regulations do not apply to prospective students.

TCPA laws are much broader. They are not specific to education and apply to everyone, whether they're current students, parents, alumni, or even school applicants. It's also a best practice to keep all regulations currently in place for phone call and email communications and apply them to all texting communications as well.

You can read more about these laws here.
How can text messaging improve our school's communication?

Text messaging creates a direct line to parents, students, and staff that's actually read. With a 98% open rate, your important messages get seen quickly, unlike emails that get buried in inboxes or voice messages that go unchecked. Text-Em-All helps you communicate schedule changes, emergency notifications, event reminders, and daily updates in a format people prefer. Our platform tracks delivery so you know exactly who received your message, making it the most reliable way to ensure critical information reaches your school community.
What types of messages can schools send through Text-Em-All?

Our platform works for all kinds of school communications - from emergency alerts and weather closings to routine reminders. You can send updates about schedule changes, coordinate parent-teacher conferences, remind students about upcoming assignments, notify about athletic events, send fundraising information, fill substitute teaching positions, or broadcast campus security alerts. The system works wonderfully for both everyday communication and those urgent situations when you need to reach everyone immediately.
What makes Text-Em-All different from other texting services for schools?

We've designed Text-Em-All specifically with schools in mind. Our platform combines powerful mass messaging capabilities with user-friendly interfaces that don't require technical expertise. We offer detailed delivery tracking so you know who received your messages, two-way conversation capabilities for meaningful engagement, automated opt-out management to maintain compliance, and reliable service that works when you need it most. Unlike generic messaging platforms, we understand the unique communication challenges schools face and provide features that address those specific needs.

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TEXTING FOR SCHOOLS

Text messaging for schools: communicate beyond the classroom