SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Transfinder has announced that it is offering its two-way communication tool, Stopfinder Communication, free of charge to all North American school districts to assist with operations during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown.

The app, which provides a secure platform for school district officials, parents, and guardians to communicate with each other, including sharing documents and photos, will be available free of charge to school districts for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, according to a news release from Transfinder.

Stopfinder Communication will be offered to school districts, whether they are Transfinder clients or not, and districts will not need routing software to utilize the app.

Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella said the app allows school districts to send notifications districtwide as well as to specific groups based on grade, region, and other criteria. He added that unlike email, there is no “spam” filter to prevent messages from getting delivered. Districts and parents can also track if messages have been opened. Additionally, all communications are saved securely for review.

“We know it is it not business as usual. Times like this require us all to figure it out and think on our feet,” Civitella said. “That is why we are reaching out, even to districts that are not our clients, and offering Stopfinder Communication for free to help them communicate with their community. At the end of the day, we want to serve this entire industry that we care so much about.”

Civitella noted that he has also received reports about Transfinder clients using the company’s other solutions, such as Routefinder and Infofinder i, to help with the distribution of meals to students who receive free and reduced-price lunch during school closures.

“Our clients have amazed us with their ingenuity. They are using our products in ways we never dreamed of,” he added. “We are asking clients to share other ways they are using our solutions to deal with this crisis so we can share best practices with everyone.”

For more information about Stopfinder Communication, call (888) 427-2403 or email freestopfinder@transfinder.com. Transfinder will also host a webinar about the two-way communication tool on March 19 at 1:30 p.m. ET. To register for the webinar, go here.