Newhall Schools to Use New Telephone System : Education: The district will launch the automated message line, which will notify parents of unexcused absences and up-coming activities.

In an effort to communicate better with parents, the Newhall School District will begin using an automated telephone message system next month, the first such program in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The system, to be installed at Meadows, Old Orchard and Peachland Avenue elementary schools, will notify parents of unexcused student absences, announce upcoming activities and deliver messages to specific audiences such as non-English speakers or those taking a specific course.

“We think the idea of a talking bulletin board, or anything that increases the contact between parents and the school is just essential,” said Diane von Buelow, Meadows School principal.

Other school districts that have the system in use have seen homework completion rates increase 40%, absences drop 50% and overall calls to schools also cut in half, according to Cornerstone Communications Inc., which offers the Parent Connection service. Parents can call the message system 24 hours a day, company officials said.

“Teachers use this to relay general bulletins about items coming up, field trips or special assignments,” said Connie Iden, director of customer service for the Tennessee-based company.

“It really increases parental involvement; it’s not intimidating. Some parents just don’t want to go to the school or don’t have the time.”

The pilot program is being offered free to the Newhall district this year. It would cost about $10,400 annually, or $2 per student, if continued at all six district schools for 1994. District officials have discussed trying to obtain business sponsorship for the program.

Trustees Tuesday approved $3,500 to upgrade the district’s telephone system to accommodate the message service. Parents will receive instructions by mail on how to use it in the next few weeks.

One option that Newhall won’t be using is announcements about homework assignments. District officials said they want children to take responsibility for their own work.

“We don’t intend this to be a baby-sitting tool,” said Anne Hazlett, assistant superintendent of instruction and personnel.

The restriction also is designed to cut down the number of initial calls coming into the fledgling program.

“One of the reasons we’re piloting three schools is we don’t have the telephone capacity Cornerstone would like us to have,” Hazlett said. “There’s nothing more frustrating than getting a bunch of busies.”

Columbus Elementary School in Glendale started using Parent Connection seven weeks ago, switching from a basic voice mail system used for the previous two years. That system allows students to check on assignments by phone.

“I disagree with that (omitting homework assignments) completely,” said Columbus Principal Terry Dutton. “If the child forgets their homework assignment but can remember to call the Parent Connection, I don’t think you should penalize them.”

The system has been particularly helpful contacting non-English-speaking parents, Dutton said. Families with limited language skills often have less difficulty with information delivered verbally rather than in writing, he said.

An average of 2,000 calls per week have been received at Columbus, which has about 1,200 students.

More coverage of the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys appears today on B14.