New ParentSquare and Hanover Research Study: School Communication Shapes Whether Families Enroll, Stay, and Recommend Their School

Nearly 63% of parents said communication quality influenced the decision to keep their children at their current school. Full findings will be presented in a webinar today at noon PT.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ParentSquare, the leading family engagement platform, today published the K12 Parent Communication and Engagement Thought Leadership Survey, a national study of 1,000+ parents conducted with Hanover Research. The research examined how parents perceive communication from their child's school, including how communication influences school choice and satisfaction, what drives families to engage with schools and what gets in the way, and how parents view their child's attendance and the communication they receive about it.

Beyond measuring perceptions, the survey asked parents directly what makes them feel informed and supported, and what would make communication about their child's attendance more helpful.

"School-home communication is a core element of a child's success," said Anupama Vaid, President and Founder of ParentSquare. "This study gives district and school leaders a clear picture of what families value, directly from parents, and three places where a district can act right away."

Three primary themes emerged.

Communication quality is a driver of retention, enrollment, and advocacy.
63% of parents said communication quality influenced their decision to stay at a school, 56% said it influenced their decision to recommend a school, and 50% said it influenced their decision to enroll. Only school safety (94%), quality of teachers (92%), and academic performance (89%) rank higher than accessibility of communication (86%) among the factors parents weigh when choosing a school.

Communication practices are also among the few school-choice factors a district can improve and measure within a semester as opposed to other operational and academic goals which may take much longer to implement. 

Personalization is essential to engagement. 
85% of respondents stated that they trust school communication and 81% find it relevant, but only 68% say it feels personalized, the lowest score in the set. Parents most value communication about their own child. 64% of parents feel informed when schools provide updates about their child's academic progress, and 53% feel supported when teachers communicate how their child is doing. The findings point to relevance over volume: what makes the difference for parents is whether the message is about their child.

Families have gaps in visibility into attendance information.
82% of parents say they are very familiar with their school's attendance policy, yet nearly one in four rarely or never hear from the school about their child's overall attendance, and 16% hear about it only when there is a problem. Only 59% of parents say their school often shares positive information about their child's attendance. 22% of parents say clearer explanations about the impact of absences would make attendance communication more helpful. Together, these findings point to a gap between what schools know about attendance and what families hear. More proactive and consistent attendance communication could help families recognize concerns earlier, understand why attendance matters, and be proactive in addressing it.

"Northwest ISD works to stay ahead of parent concerns so we can meet the needs of our community," said Anthony Tosie, Executive Director of Communications at Northwest ISD in Texas and a member of the ParentSquare Advisory Council. "National data like this helps us see what families across the country are experiencing and how that may show up in our schools. The findings have already prompted us to look at our own parent surveys and find where we can do more for students and families."

A full report on the findings will be presented by Hanover Research and ParentSquare in a webinar today, October 21, at 12:00 pm PT. Dena Salerno, Senior Director of Client Engagement at Hanover Research, will walk through the national results with ParentSquare's Janelle Raney, CMO, and Joel Hames, SVP, Product, who will provide insights about what the findings mean for district and school leaders. Registration is free and all attendees receive the full report.

About the Study
The Hanover Research analysis included 1,031 respondents with at least one student enrolled in grades K-12 at a public, private, or charter school, recruited through a third-party panel provider. The survey was fielded online in English and Spanish in July and August 2026.

About ParentSquare
ParentSquare is the leading family engagement platform, helping K-12 districts nationwide reach every family with an award-winning, all-in-one communication platform. Reaching over 22 million students, ParentSquare helps districts consolidate disconnected tools and outdated communication systems with personalized messaging, websites, forms, payments, attendance solutions, and more, in one easy-to-use platform. With powerful features for achieving 100% contactability, two-way translation into 190+ languages, and purpose-built AI enhancements, ParentSquare empowers districts to invite every family to be involved in their student's education, no matter their home language or the device they use.

Recognized for growth and innovation by Inc. 5000, GSV 150, and more, ParentSquare was founded in 2011 in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at parentsquare.com.

About Hanover Research
Founded in 2003, Hanover Research is a global research and analytics firm that delivers market intelligence through a unique, fixed-fee model to more than 1,000 clients. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Hanover employs high-caliber market researchers, analysts, and account executives to provide a service that is revolutionary in its combination of flexibility and affordability. Hanover has been named a Top 50 Market Research Firm by the American Marketing Association every year since 2015. To learn more about Hanover Research, visit www.hanoverresearch.com.

SOURCE ParentSquare