NORTH ATTLEBORO - Rather than wait a week to correct a misquoted statement in a local weekly newspaper, Superintendent Richard Smith took the unusual, but not unprecedented, step of alerting parents to the error with the school department's automated telephone system.

Smith said he decided to use the ConnectEd automated telephone system to correct the information because, "I believe the information presented was likely to cause undue concern among families. I also believe it was possible that the misquote could be perceived as an exaggeration about our budget concerns."

Smith was misquoted in The Free Press last week. An article in the weekly paraphrased a statement by Smith, and erroneously indicated that possible budget cuts could force the district to transfer students to schools out of town.

What Smith actually said was that the school department would be forced to shift students to different schools within North Attleboro if it must slash its budget by $680,000 in the middle of the school year.

It is not the first time the ConnectEd automated telephone system, which is used frequently by the school department, has been used to clear up a mistake. In 2006, Smith used the telephone system to alert parents to an erroneous report by a Boston television station. That station was reporting on a scandal involving the North Andover superintendent, and mistakenly said North Attleboro.

While the town pays for a separate, but similar automated telephone system, that is called Connect-CTY, that is used only for emergency purposes, the school department's system is used much more frequently.

The school department, which can pare the telephone list down to parents at particular schools or even students assigned to a particular bus route, uses the system several times a week.

"We don't pay by the phone call. It's a flat fee, and we use it as often as possible. Our principals use it to remind parents about nightly meetings or that report cards are out," Smith said.

AMY DeMELIA can be reached at 508-236-0334 or at ademelia@thesunchronicle.com.