- Deerfield Public Schools District 109
- Communication
Superintendent's Office
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Email Sign Up
If you are a staff member or parent in District 109, do not sign up! You automatically receive notifications from your school(s) and the District. If you are a community member please fill out the form below or CLICK HERE to be redirected to sign up for emails.
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Mobile App
The Deerfield 109 mobile app is a tool to keep you connected, when you want, right from your mobile phone or tablet. Please download the app from the App Store or Google Play, or search either store for "Deerfield 109."
You'll be asked to set up your app by selecting your school(s); choose from the list and select the schools that are important to you. Then, you'll see the calendars for those schools and receive notifications through the app with important school-specific information.
Parents will receive emails with login credentials to be able to get information about their children. Please contact Eric Steckling if you need your login information sent to you. When you log in, you can add new email addresses and phone numbers (for phone calls and text messages), and select your notification preferences. You have control!
Important notes:
- If you want to receive both phone calls and text messages to a cell phone, enter that phone number in both the "phone numbers" and "text/sms numbers" sections.
- Though there is a link, do not add new home addresses in the app. If you need to update your home address, please see the Registration & Residency page for change of address procedures.
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Accessibility
In order to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, websites must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as instituted by the World Wide Web. District 109 is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website for students, parents, and members of the community with disabilities. If you have any issues accessing information on the website, please contact Eric Steckling, the Director of Communications.
Opt back in/opt out:
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Opt-out:
- Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at 855-502-STOP
- Text (SMS) messages - reply STOP to any Blackboard system text or to "60680" for non-emergency messages. Text STOP to "54968" to opt-out of emergency messages
- Emails: Click the unsubscribe link from any email
If you opt-out of ANY email if you opt-out of ALL. For example, if you opt-out of a District email, it will also opt you out of all Blackboard emails sent through your school.
Opt-in:
- Phone calls: Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at 855-502-STOP from the phone line that has been opted out
- Text (SMS) messages - Text START to "60680" from the phone line that has been opted out for non-emergency messages. Text START to "54968" from the phone line that has been opted out for emergency messages.
DPS 109 COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WINS HIGHEST STATE HONOR FROM INSPRA
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The Communications team, along with a Board of Education member, several administrators, and one teacher have been honored by the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association with awards for their work during the 2020-2021 school year.
The communications team won the Golden Achievement Award for Excellence, which is the highest award given by INSPRA and recognizes best practices as demonstrated by a single public relations effort or campaign, for their approach to keeping stakeholders informed with website updates, video updates, town hall meetings, and more.
“We are extremely proud of the hard work we put in to keep the entire DPS 109 community informed during a school year full of constant change. Thank you to INSPRA and our colleagues for recognizing our work and underscoring the value of clear, consistent, honest, and empathetic communication,” said Eric Steckling, Director of Communications.
- Award of Excellence for In-House Video Production for the montage that was put together of the 2021 graduation ceremonies for Caruso & Shepard middle schools.
- Award of Merit For Electronic Newsletter for the weekly 109 Community Update newsletters they produced during the 2020-2021 school year.
- Award of Merit for Special Purpose Publication for the Reopening Scenarios document they created in late summer of 2020.
- Three other Awards of Merit for In-House Video Production for the “Sights & Sounds of the First Week Back”, “Envision Our Future 109,” and “Foran Traveler: Art on a Cart”.
You can see the district’s winning entries below:

Stay Connected
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The District values input from stakeholders, and actively seeks that input through surveys and focus groups, at Board of Education meetings, and at special programs. Community members often are invited to participate in special task force initiatives, as well as on strategic planning teams. In addition to this website, we use multiple channels and tools to connect with our community. If you have questions or suggestions about communication in District 109, please contact:
Eric Steckling
Director of Communications
(847) 945-1844 x7238
communications@dps109.org