Bellevue School District families will receive automated text messages instead of phone calls when their child is marked absent, starting Monday, Sept. 14.
The district is switching from generic recorded calls through School Messenger to customized texts sent through Talking Points, a nonprofit family engagement platform that translates messages into more than 150 languages.
No app or Wi-Fi is needed. BSD announced the change on its news page Aug. 26.
All BSD families will get an end-of-day absence text at 5 p.m. Families at four pilot schools — Interlake High School, Odle Middle School, Tillicum Middle School and Lake Hills Elementary — will also receive a morning alert about 60 to 90 minutes after the school day starts.
The morning text is meant to notify parents who may not know their child hasn't arrived, giving them time to get the student there late.
Only families who have not already reported an absence will receive the automated messages.
Rollout timeline
The district laid out a three-step schedule:
- Wednesday, Sept. 2 (first day of school for grades 1–12): Families receive an introductory text with their individual Talking Points number.
- Tuesday, Sept. 8: A reminder text goes out.
- Monday, Sept. 14: Automated daily absence notifications begin.
Each parent or guardian gets a unique Talking Points number. The text thread is private, protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and visible only to BSD attendance specialists and administrators.
Families can also use the platform to report absences, communicate about attendance and send documents like doctor's notes.
Attendance campaign context
BSD defines chronic absenteeism as missing just one day every two weeks, even if those absences are excused. The text system is part of the district's broader "First Day, Every Day" attendance campaign, which Janine Thorn, BSD's chief communications officer, introduced on June 25. "We want every student to feel welcomed, connected, and ready to learn from the very first day," Thorn said in the campaign announcement.
The district piloted Talking Points during the 2025–26 school year at the same four schools now receiving morning alerts.
According to TalkingPoints, schools using its platform have seen a 24% reduction in absences based on third-party-validated research.
BSD's attendance policies are governed by Policy 3122 and Procedure 3122P, available on the district website.
The first day of school for kindergarten and the Evergreen Transition Program is Tuesday, Sept. 8; preschool begins Wednesday, Sept. 9.
