Online registration offers parents easy access

On-site school registration opened Tuesday, Aug. 1, for Clarke Community School students. A new online system was introduced for registration this year. It also provides day-to-day monitoring of student records and accounts. Families were able to register from home beginning July 18, but those who needed additional help were invited to Clarke Community Middle School’s Library Media Center starting Tuesday.

“I think we had about 300 applications done before registration,” said Charlene Hoover, accounts receiveable clerk. “It has gone really, really well this year.”

Middle School Principal Jeff Sogard said the district expects 1,300 to 1,400 students total this school year, so plenty of people have yet to sign up.

“I think it will go better next year,” said Clarke mom Charrissa Lewis, noting the learning curve can be difficult. ““My oldest son is going to be a sophomore. He already logged into his stuff every night and showed me. I didn’t realize I’d need a different [portal password].”

Despite the issue, Lewis is impressed.

“You can see all your kids’ attendance, their schedule, notes from their teachers, if they miss an assignment… It’s actually really helpful,” she said.

Other parents registered at the school because they were new to the district or unable to access the internet otherwise. Thankfully language barriers shouldn’t be a problem for those families where English is a second language. The system itself is bilingual, but Clarke also has interpreters available for those who need extra help.

“Some people like they can access everything at their convenience,” said Clarke Elementary School Principal Jill Kiger. “It’s different, so there’s always a little bit of an adjustment. I think in the long run it will be great, but it’s a process.”