St. Louis County, Missouri is home to 23 school districts. Just outside the St. Louis city limits sits Affton Public Schools, a six-square-mile district of 2,700 students where more than 35 languages are spoken.

In a community this diverse, clear, translated communication is a lifeline between schools and families. But Affton’s one-person communications office faced mounting challenges: too many platforms, inconsistent branding, and tools that worked against speed and simplicity.

“Simplicity and speed are king in a small district. But our tools were working against us.”

Erica Chandler APR, Communications Director, Affton Public Schools

A Patchwork of Tools

Like many districts, Affton’s communication system grew piece by piece over time. The result was complexity and confusion:

  • Too Many Platforms: A WordPress site managed by IT, a different mass-notification vendor, a separate two-way messaging tool, and individual classroom Facebook pages.

  • Poor Mobile Experience: The district’s website wasn’t designed for phones, yet, that’s where most parents looked first.

  • Limited Translation: Families relied on children to translate key updates.

  • Overburdened Staff: With one person managing it all, communication at times stalled.

  • Inconsistent Branding: Multiple tools diluted the “One Affton” identity.

The COVID pandemic didn’t cause these cracks, it exposed them. Families needed quick answers in their preferred language, and principals needed tools they could actually use.

The Turning Point

By 2020, survey data showed the same parent frustration year after year: “It’s too many places to look.” Families were overwhelmed, staff were hesitant to send messages, and every delay chipped away at trust.

Affton’s leadership team knew it was time for change. They needed a solution that would:

  • Unify all tools—website, alerts, two-way messaging, app, and social updates all from one single platform.

  • Improve translation so every family could connect directly with schools.

  • Simplify access with a mobile-first design.

  • Empower staff so principals, assistants, and secretaries could communicate without relying on the communications office.

  • Deliver responsive support their small team could count on.

Parents were clear too: “We just want one app, one destination.”

The Solution: Apptegy

In 2021, Affton adopted Apptegy’s complete communication platform, including a new website, district app, and Rooms for two-way parent teacher communication.

The rollout focused on:

  • Unified Branding: Every touchpoint reflected the “One Affton” identity.

  • Inclusive Communication: Real-time translation in 35+ languages let families message staff in Bosnian, Dari, and more—with responses instantly translated back.

  • Team Empowerment: Principals, assistants, and secretaries were trained to communicate directly, eliminating bottlenecks.

  • Mobile-First Design: Staff could send updates on the go. “A lot of them really like the Apptegy staff app on their phone. That was a game changer,” said Chandler.

  • Simplified Parent Experience: Menus, forms, events, and updates lived in one app, no more platform hopping.

  • Unmatched Support: Live Apptegy chat delivered answers in minutes, versus days or weeks with previous vendors.

    Implementation, Chandler said, was “shockingly easy.” “We kept waiting for the hard part. It never came.”

The Impact

The results were immediate and measurable:

  • Faster Response Times: Support tickets answered in minutes.

  • Reduced Staff Strain: Communication was no longer bottlenecked at the communications office.

  • Quicker Updates: Website, emails, alerts, app notifications, and social media could all be updated with the push of a button.

  • Higher Parent Engagement: Families quickly adopted the app as their go-to source.

  • Consistent and Strengthened Branding: Every channel reinforced the “One Affton” identity, not a third party vendor.

  • Better Inclusion: Non-English-speaking parents engaged directly with teachers—often for the first time.

“After all these years, telling the story of our schools is still the most vital thing we do. Now we can do it faster, more consistently, and for every family.” — Erica Chandler APR, Communications Director, Affton Public Schools

Affton is now living its vision: One team, one identity, one communication platform. 

Erica Chandler APR  was elected the 2025 President of the National School Public Relations Association and now presents at conferences nationwide on effective school communications and proudly shares her Apptegy success story! 

Why it worked: Apptegy’s approach aligned with Affton’s goals. It built Affton’s brand instead of the vendor’s, made everyone a better communicator by putting simple tools in many hands, and did things differently by pairing unified technology with proactive support. In a time where school districts are competing for attention, enrollment, talent and trust, the Apptegy partnership moved Affton from reactive to ready.