The district has its own system for grades and permission slips. Everything else — the fall festival, the book fair, class parties, chaperone sign-ups, after-school chess and the pumpkin-patch outing — runs on a room parent’s phone across five tools that don’t know each other. Mela replaces that layer: announcements, events with RSVP, volunteer slots, clubs with attendance and fees, and a running fundraiser total.
A school event is a link. Parents open it and reply with their name and mobile number — no account, no app, no password — and you get a real headcount, kids and plus-ones included. The potluck table fills itself: each dish has a number, and it closes when it’s covered.
Post the slots — ticket booth, setup, cleanup, chaperones — and let parents claim them. Everyone sees what’s still open.
Chess, robotics, dance, coding: each is a program with a term. Families enroll per child, say if they’re coming each week, the vendor takes attendance and pickup, and the fee per term is confirmed — with a one-tap reminder for anyone who hasn’t paid.
School-run field-trip permission slips and medical forms carry legal weight the district system owns. Mela runs the PTA-run outing, where the form is “are you coming, who’s driving, who paid”.
Free for organizers, members and guests. The iPhone app runs the community; every guest replies from a link.
No. Every event link and the potluck list open in a browser. Parents who want announcements on their phone install the free app; the rest get their personal web link.
Yes. Officers grant just the rights they need — announcements, events, programs, photos or info.
For after-school clubs and programs, yes — fee per term, per month or per session, with confirmation and reminders. Per-event fees are on the roadmap.
No, and on purpose. Those belong in the district’s system. Mela handles the parent-run layer.
Yes. No subscription and no per-family fee. No ads on invitations or reply pages; a community may choose to show approved sponsored listings from local businesses.