>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Nothing short circuits a school district’s rumor mill faster, or can put people at ease quicker, than the truth.

New La Grande School District Superintendent Larry Glaze understands this better than most. It is one reason why Glaze started a Key Communicators program while superintendent of the Gervais School District in the Willamette Valley.

And it is why he is starting a similar program in La Grande.

Here is how it it will work: Everyone who signs up as a key communicator will be sent a monthly La Grande School District newsletter via e-mail. The newsletter will include information about student and faculty accomplishments, how new curriculum programs are doing, upcoming events and more.

Additional e-mails will also be sent to key communicators when there is breaking news in the school district. If school is closed because of snow or a boiler breaks down, e-mails with straightforward details about what is happening will be sent.

The people receiving the newsletters, as key communicators, will be asked to share the information with their friends and others, especially if the news is of an urgent nature.

Glaze, who served as superintendent of the Gervais School District for four years through June 2007, had a Key Communicators program his final two years there.

In Gervais about 50 people in the community were in the program. Glaze was very encouraged by this response.

Glaze served as superintendent of the Elgin School District in 2007-2008. Time constraints prevented him from setting up a Key Communicators program in Elgin.

In La Grande, Glaze is encouraging everyone — including adults who do not have children enrolled in the La Grande School District — to sign up to be key communicators. He hopes to get many such

people signed up because it is easy for them to get out of the information loop without children in school.

“It is important to have all aspects of the community kept informed about what is going on in the school district,’’ Glaze said.

All district employees will also receive the newsletter via e-mail.

“It will enhance communication within the school system,’’ Glaze said.

He noted that logistics sometimes make it hard for people to know about everything going in the school district.

“Often staff at Island City Elementary School may not know about things going on at the high school and middle school,’’ Glaze said.

Newsletters will be sent out at the first of the month. The program will not cost the district anything because there will not be a publication cost.

People receiving the newsletter will be encouraged to call or e-mail the district if they have questions.

“It will be a good vehicle for two-way communications,’’ Glaze said.

Glaze will introduce the Key Communicators program on July 16 during a public reception welcoming him as La Grande’s new superintendent. The reception will run from 6 to 7 p.m. in the community room of the Cook Memorial Library. People will be able to sign up as key communicators during the reception.