There are several ways someone can opt in to text messages from your school:

1. Each school has a unique URL provided by Frogtummy where parents can quickly opt in to text messaging. This option will send all school-related messages, such as emergencies and school events.
2. Parents can create a Frogtummy account using their Aspire contact email. This option allows the user to customize their preferences, such as Yes for Emergency, No for school events. It also lets them see their parent portal and whatever Frogtummy modules your school has.
3. Any time a contact is added to myInbox or new parent is imported from Aspire, we will send them a text invite to receive school-related SMS.
4. Any time a parent submits a lottery application, they are opted-in to receive both school-related and emergency SMS.
5. Parents can text START to your school SMS number. They will only receive texts if they are matched in your database of custodial parents or myInbox contacts (see FAQ question below).

*All contacts are automatically opted-in for emergency SMS. They can unsubscribe if they wish (see FAQ question below).

Anyone can click the opt-in link and consent to receive messages from your phone number, but messages are only sent to authorized contacts.

SMS messages are sent only to:

• Custodial parents uploaded to your system
• Staff members in myInbox
• Contacts in myInbox
• Prospective parents applying through myLottery

If someone opts in but is not one of the contacts above, they will not receive any messages.

Here’s how this works behind the scenes: when someone uses the opt-in link, we match their phone number to custodial parents and myInbox contacts in your system. If there’s no match, they are not opted in and will not receive SMS messages.

If a custodial parent who was opted in, is removed from Aspire, they are automatically removed from our system and will no longer receive SMS messages.

Yes.

Based on FCC Declaratory Ruling 16-88 (August 4, 2016), schools may send emergency SMS messages related to health or safety without prior SMS opt-in. These messages are considered essential for student safety.

How Emergency SMS works in Frogtummy

• All custodial parents receive Emergency SMS unless they have previously replied STOP.
• This applies to all custodial parents imported from Aspire.
• Even if a custodial parent creates a Frogtummy account and chooses not to opt in to general school SMS, they will still receive Emergency SMS messages.

How to opt out (optional)

Custodial parents may unsubscribe from Emergency SMS in one of two ways:

1. Reply STOP to the school’s SMS number

• This unsubscribes the parent from all SMS messages from the school
• Reply START to re-enable SMS in the future

2. Through a Frogtummy account

• Go to Contact Preferences
• Unsubscribe from Emergency Text Messages

It depends on how they unsubscribed:

• Disabled "Emergency Text" in Contact Preferences: Re-subscribe by selecting "Emergency Text" in Contact Preferences.
• Replied STOP to your school SMS number: The only way to re-subscribe is to reply START to your school SMS number.
• Blocked your school SMS number: If a contact has blocked your number, they will need to unblock it on their phone to receive SMS again.

Kandyce asked how other schools have encouraged parents to create an account and if they had seen success with that. Multiple schools had suggestions and experiences, including:

• Start with parents in your youngest grade
• Encourage account creation when a student is first admitted to the school, ie, as part of the registration process.
• With older students, remind them to have their parents create a Frogtummy account to excuse their absences, pay for lunch, etc. (This varies by which Frogtummy modules the school has.)
• Have an account creation table at events like parent-teacher conferences and back-to-school activities. Have computers available for parents to use to create an account. Include a QR code that parents can sign to create an account and/or to opt-in to messaging.
• Use an emergency-focused campaign to encourage parents to create an account and make sure they are signed up for SMS messaging for emergencies.

No. Their Frogtummy account may still exist and show an opt-in preference, but they will not receive messages unless they are an active custodial parent or a myInbox contact.

Having a Frogtummy account simply allows us to track opt-in preferences—it does not grant access to SMS messages on its own.