RVC schools switching to paperless report cards

Starting next year, it will be more difficult for parents to display their kids’ report cards on the fridge.

In 2015-16, the Rockville Centre School District is switching to a paperless report card system. Parents will be able to access these “e-port” cards instead of having paper copies mailed to their homes.

“It’s a way a lot of people operate these days,” said Chris Pellettieri, the assistant superintendent for curriculum, who is spearheading the switch. “We are always looking to go greener and save money on ink and paper. It’s the right thing to do for our future.”

The move will save the district money, although exactly how much isn’t clear. Pellettieri explained that the district budgets all of its paper, ink and mailings together, so it’s impossible to say how much of that is spent just on report cards. After the first quarter of next year, however, the district will be able to do a comparison and see how much it saved.

The paperless system will allow parents to access report cards, mid-quarter interim reports, state test results and NWEA scores online, saving the district the cost of printing and mailing those reports for its hundreds of students. It currently spends tens of thousands of dollars every year on printing and mailings.

Without mailing report cards home, though, the district had to figure out how to alert parents when the reports are ready to be viewed. Pellettieri said that the district will reach out to parents by email and through postings on its website and notifications on its new app.

He also explained that the digital version will provide the school district with more information as well. School officials will be able to tell which parents haven’t accessed their children’s report cards, and then contact them directly.

The e-port cards will look the same as their hard-copy counterparts when viewed online. If they want, parents can print them out so they have copies. And if asked, the district will send parents the physical copy instead of the electronic one.

The district cannot yet make a full digital conversion, however. There are still some things, like special education forms, that the state mandates must be sent by mail. However, parents can notify the district that they want to receive electronic copies of those as well.

“It’s the right thing to do for our future,” said Pellettieri. “It’s the way people communicate now: They want access. They want things at their fingers.”