SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 2, 2026 — As K-12 school districts face increasing pressure to communicate clearly, consistently, and securely across an increasingly complex school system, ClassDojo for Districts today announced the release of the 2026 District Communication Handbook: K-12, a new resource designed to help district leaders modernize communications, strengthen family trust, and improve collaboration across schools. announced the release of “What Leaders Need to Know.”
Regional communication has changed dramatically in recent years. Families expect real-time updates delivered in their native language in one trusted place. Teachers are dealing with too many tools and competing demands. And district leaders are expected to maintain visibility, oversight, and consistency across hundreds of classrooms and campuses.
The new handbook was created to address this reality, leveraging insights from school districts across the country to provide a clear, system-wide approach to communication that supports families, educators, and students alike.
“Today’s communications are not just operational; they are the foundation of trust, belonging, and a district’s reputation,” said Dr. Chad A. Stevens, Director of Growth and Partnerships at ClassDojo. “While expectations for transparency and safety continue to rise, district leaders are being asked to do more with less. This handbook reflects what we see working across districts and provides a practical path leaders can take.”
District-wide framework for modern communications
At the heart of this handbook is the District Communications Framework, which outlines three essential pillars of effective district-wide communications: visibility, engagement, and safety. Combining these elements will allow school districts to move beyond fragmented messaging and create a more unified and predictable experience for families and staff.
This handbook explores how school districts can:
Visualize communication throughout the school without increasing teacher workload. Engage families and students with a clear, accessible, and consistent message. Build proactive safety structures to support staff and protect students.
Rather than focusing on abstract theory, this guide combines strategic guidance with real district stories to show how strong communication systems contribute to the outcomes districts value most, including trust, belonging, attendance, and staff retention.
“Before establishing a unified communications approach, families were receiving messages from multiple platforms, making it difficult to know what information was really important,” said Dr. Kimberly Thompson-Hairston, director of instructional technology and public relations officer at Stokes County Schools in Danbury, North Carolina. “By creating a clear framework, we were able to use a platform built on family trust to bring consistency across the school and give leaders the visibility they needed to better support and respond more effectively to their campuses.”
Practical tools for districts to use right away
In addition to strategic insights, the 2026 District Communications Handbook includes ready-to-use tools designed for immediate application, including district checklists, message templates, and communication planning prompts. These resources are intended to help school districts move from reactive messaging to more intentional, system-wide communication practices without adding new burdens to educators.
“District leaders told us they don’t just need ideas, they need tools they can use tomorrow,” Stevens added. “This handbook is designed to help school districts build scalable communications systems while supporting real-world workflows and real-world constraints.”
Where communication and local reputation intersect
The handbook also notes the growing connection between district communications and public perception, as families and communities increasingly judge school systems based on the clarity, consistency, and tone of communications. Even if there is a lot of engagement in the classroom, trust will erode if messages feel scattered or hard to find. In contrast, school districts with integrated communication systems are better positioned to surface positive stories, identify gaps early, and build long-term trust with families.
The 2026 District Communications Handbook is available now as a free resource for district leaders, communications teams, and school administrators. To download the playbook or learn more about ClassDojo for Districts, visit our website.
About ClassDojo
ClassDojo is on a mission to provide every child with the education they love. Used by 95% of U.S. schools, ClassDojo helps teachers and families build stronger school communities through everyday communication. ClassDojo for Districts is a unified communications and engagement platform that combines classroom updates and district-wide messaging into one seamless experience to help families feel connected, students stay focused, and school culture strengthened. It’s built around privacy and available to school districts at no additional cost.
