Engage the “Silent 75”

Public schools face a new competitive landscape. The growth of private and charter schools makes marketing and branding essential to boost enrollment. Public schools hire branding firms and marketing staff to increase demand and awareness. Advertisements for public schools appear on television and billboards.

Beyond branding, American public schools need a new community relations approach that builds relationships with a broader audience. While marketing is focused on student enrollment, strategic community relations reach 75% of folks who do not have children or staff members in the district.

Why are non-parents and non-staff a priority? The “silent 75” are the majority in communities with little reason to engage with public schools. Their voices are not heard until they consider school bond referendums, school board elections, and other ballot questions. They have an outsized impact on the future of public schools.

Public information campaigns during bond referendums highlight disconnected community relations with non-staff and non-parents. Misinformation about school districts and past perceptions of “when I was in school” persist. This breakdown in communication leads to negative voter sentiment.

Public school districts need a new approach to community relations that engages people who do not have kids or teach in schools. Beyond branding, build relationships, trust and mutual understanding.

Community Relations and Relationships  

How do school districts build connections with non-parents and non-staff? Start from the inside out.  

Staff

Teacher and staff engagement is the foundation. While they represent a small percentage of communities, they are district ambassadors whose opinions drive sentiment about school districts.

Here are some specific ideas to consider:

• Make staff engagement a pillar in strategic plans. Like the business community, if school districts take care of employees (teachers and staff), they will take care of your customers (students) and the profits (graduation of productive citizens) are the results.

• Consider “Ask Us Anything” tours. The superintendent and school board members make fewer presentations and spend more time listening to staff and observing the schools. This is an opportunity to discuss the challenges and ideas for improving the schools. Together, tough questions may be asked and answers explored together with transparency and curiosity.

Students

Students and graduates engaged in communities are the best ambassadors. They embody school district missions – educated, engaged citizens improving communities.

• Students may have the best questions and ideas. A regular “student cabinet” or focus groups with students will give them a voice. An unfiltered connection to the superintendent and school board opens communication and generates goodwill.

• Rebranding school districts is an opportunity to involve students. While a school district should have an overall brand, each school building can have its own brand personality. Get students engaged in updating mascots and promoting what’s unique about their schools and building a consistent brand image.

Parents

Parents and staff may be 25% of voters during elections. These groups have established communication channels, such as digital newsletters, SMS messaging, events, etc. Parents greatly influence the community as they work for local organizations and businesses. What they understand about the school district and share with friends, co-workers and neighbors will move the needle in a positive direction.

• Provide support for parent-teacher associations (PTA) and parent-teacher organizations (PTO) in each school. Connect the leaders of PTAs and PTOs through communication channels and regular leader meetings. These neighborhood networks are essential for weaving a collective support fabric for schools.

• Parents provide a connection to local businesses and organizations like neighborhood associations. Consider how these entities can get involved in the school district. PTA and PTO leaders will help identify who and what organizations represent parents. Partnerships are waiting to be developed and strengthened.

Non-parents, Non-staff

How do you reach the “silent 75”—the non-parents, non-staff who are unengaged with the school district? Again, these folks are often 75% of the voters participating in school elections. Their relationship with the school district impacts voter-approved funding like Physical Plant and Equipment Levies (PPEL) and bond referendums.

Here are some ideas for a new approach to community relations:

• Reach every household at least once a year with an annual “state of the district” report. Communicate with transparency about the school district budget, performance and planned investments. Taxpayers are your investors. Keep them informed through an annual report that reaches every household in your district via direct mail and invite them to your annual “state of the district” event.

• Develop a strategy for inviting people to public events, such as concerts, sporting events, theatre productions, and open houses, neighborhood by neighborhood. Consider joint-use agreements that open amenities to local organizations (YMCA, YWCA, etc.). The best community relations strategy gets people on campus to see the schools and experience the great things students and staff are doing.

Stronger Schools, Stronger Communities — A Shared Responsibility

Community relations go beyond branding. School districts that embrace relationship building with their communities will create greater understanding and support. Stronger public schools help revitalize neighborhoods, create good jobs and offer kids of all abilities and backgrounds access to quality education. We all have a stake in this—100% of communities.