Putnam Schools Launch STOPit Anonymous Tip Line

The Putnam County School System launched a new anonymous tip line Monday.

Deputy Director of Schools Corby King said the STOPit App seeks to deter bullying, cyber abuse, and other inappropriate behaviors.

“This allows them (students) an avenue to report anonymously. They can go forward, make their report, and then the administrators can still address the situation that may be unsafe or unsettling,” King said. “The overall goal is just to provide an environment where our students feel safe and secure.”

Students can download the app to a smart phone or tablet at no charge. King said the school system funded the reporting software with school safety grant funding handed down from the state earlier this year.

“We actually put it in place last school year, but we just weren’t happy with the vendor that we chose to provide the anonymous reporting,” King said. “Last year we used Safe Schools Alert, but it just didn’t meet the expectations that we had in place. The students didn’t use it a lot. It was kind of clunky and they didn’t like the app, so this year we’ve moved to STOPit. Hopefully our students will utilize the app and resources available.”

Parents will not be able to use the app unless they get access to the school code and report an unsafe situation through their child’s device. King said students without a mobile device should not be discouraged from reporting unsafe behaviors.

“We want students to say something if they see something,” King said. “Our younger students who don’t have mobile devices, we want those students and parents to continue to be in communication with teachers and staff members.”

Students who download the app will be given access codes for their schools on Friday morning.