Getting Started

Setting communication defaults for your school

Quick answer: Your school configures defaults for which parent receives which type of communication — billing to Parent 1 only, newsletters to both, and so on. Defaults are set up during onboarding and can be adjusted.

Why this matters

In a two-parent household, you usually don't want every message going to both parents. Billing notices typically go to whichever parent handles finances. Field trip updates go to both. Tour follow-ups go to whoever requested the tour.

Communication defaults let you set this once at the school level, rather than deciding parent-by-parent for every message.

How defaults are typically set

Most schools configure:

• Billing communications → Parent 1 only (the primary financial contact)
• Newsletters and general updates → Both parents
• Form requests → Both parents (so either can complete and return)
• Event announcements → Both parents
• Emergency notifications → Both parents and any emergency contacts
• Tour and admissions follow-up → Whoever made the inquiry

Step-by-step to review or adjust your defaults

1. Open Settings from the main menu.
2. Find the Communications or Email Preferences section.
3. Review how each communication type is configured.
4. Adjust as needed and save.

Per-family overrides

Defaults apply to most families, but some need exceptions. For divorced parents, parents with restraining orders, or parents who explicitly request not to receive certain emails, you can override defaults on the individual family record.

To override, open the family record and adjust the per-recipient settings on Parent 1 or Parent 2. See the article on handling divorced or separated parents for more on this pattern.

Tips

• When you send a bulk message, you can always override the default for that specific send — choose Parent 1, Parent 2, or both at send time.
• If parents complain about getting (or not getting) certain emails, check the defaults before assuming it's a delivery problem.

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