It's about to get a lot easier for parents to check up on their students' progress at school.

Starting with the 2008-2009 school year, school district officials will utilize a new Web site that allows parents to stay involved with their students' education, even if they cannot make it to parent-teacher meetings.

Parentlink will also allow parents to communicate with their children's teachers, view grades on homework and tests and see attendance records.

The Web site will also contain information about classes, assignments and upcoming tests, and should a student not show up for class, it will notify the parents.

District officials have been looking into different systems for the past few years. The School Board approved Parentlink in November and pilot tested the program this spring.

It cost the district $1.5 million to implement and will cost $100,000 annually to run. But district officials said it is worth every penny if it keeps parents involved in the education process.

The site can be read in English and Spanish, and information can be accessed from a touchtone phone should Internet access not be available.