Colonial School District families can now monitor which websites their children visit on school devices, after the district began rolling out parent accounts for its Securly internet-filtering system.

The district posted an announcement across all seven school websites on Friday, Aug. 28, saying some parents had already received email invitations to create Securly accounts. The rollout comes three days before the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 31.

Once set up, a parent's Securly account shows which websites a child accessed during the school day, according to the district. The district describes Securly as its filtering system for blocking inappropriate websites and monitoring student internet access.

Parents who received an early invitation can set up their account now or wait for further guidance. The district said it plans to send a full introduction once all accounts have been assigned, though it did not provide a deadline.

The portal follows parent requests for more visibility into student screen time. At a Curriculum Committee meeting on May 11, Whitemarsh Elementary parent Elise LaChapelle asked the board for the ability to track screen time through Securly, including YouTube use during classroom instruction and brain breaks. Several other parents raised concerns about device use at the same meeting.

Securly replaced the district's previous filtering software, Lightspeed Systems, during the 2025-2026 school year. Andrew Boegly, the district's Director of Technology, told the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School student newspaper, The Town Crier, in June that the switch was made to strengthen student safety and better align with the Children's Internet Protection Act.

"The goal is to find the right balance," Boegly said in the June interview, referring to keeping students safe while allowing access to educational resources.

The transition had bumps. Some Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students reported that Securly's filters blocked websites needed for class assignments and slowed browsing during its first year, according to The Town Crier. Boegly told the newspaper in June that the district refines its settings over time based on real-world use.

Colonial School District serves approximately 5,713 students across seven schools in Plymouth and Whitpain townships. The district has not announced when all parent portal accounts will be fully assigned.