In a district I worked in, the board established a Public Relations Committee composed of board members, administrators, staff, and community members. The purpose of the committee was to bridge the space between rumors and facts about the school district. Additionally, the committee members were the organizers of promoting a bond referendum. The district published and mailed a newsletter to all homeowners, held open houses, presented to borough council members, and offered free lawn signs to support the referendum.
These multiple forms of communication ended with the passage of the referendum. The committee, four years later, was successful again in passing another referendum to complete projects excluded from the prior referendum due to budget restraints. The same public relations strategies were used, along with increased social media presence.
When business officials and/or other key personnel in the district administration share expert insights with the community, the community gains relevant information and gets to know district leaders.
Examining School Public Relations
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Mellissa J. Braham, the associate director of the National School Public Relations Association. Since 1935, this organization has expanded its focus and remained at the forefront of all factors that contribute to a positive, accurate representation of school district affairs.
Just as school budgets and curricula are planned with data, Braham believes the most effective communications are grounded in sound data. She oversees a research team that offers school districts opportunities to determine the communication strategies that will work best in their unique local communities. There are two opportunities: the proprietary, nationally benchmarked SCOPE survey, which measures communication effectiveness in key areas, and the NSPRA Communication Audit, which provides a comprehensive analysis of how communication flows through the district.
The NSPRA Communication Audit, which includes the SCOPE survey, also involves reviewing policies, publications, and practices, as well as conducting focus groups with stakeholders to make strategic recommendations for a district’s communication program.
Transparent Communications Strategies
While most finance-related communications from districts to the community occur when there is an impending vote involving taxes, Braham says that analyzing communication data can lead the business official and other key leaders to implement a more transparent year-round communication strategy for their district.
Below are five aspects of a transparent communications strategy:
1. Research the communication needs of a school community, including on finance topics.
While most strategic plans include public relations, it is helpful to have data on community awareness of and communication preferences related to district finances.
A communication audit will look at the internal (staff) and external (parents, taxpayers) audiences’ knowledge of key school district topics and preferences for how communication happens, including social media strategies, websites, emails, and other methods specific to the needs of the school community, and also relative to the focus of why communication is needed.
2. Involve the business official’s expertise.
When business officials and/or other key personnel in the district administration share expert insights with the community, the community gains relevant information while also getting to know district leaders. Example communications include trust-builder videos such as:
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Spotlight videos introducing different departments sprinkled throughout the year – the business office, transportation, athletics, maintenance, etc.
Regularly updating the board will also help maintain the goal of working together for transparent communication.
It is never too early for a district to begin planning how it will communicate a particular project (building renovations, new curriculum, policy change) or an upcoming event (the school district's 100th anniversary). Particularly for finance topics, working with the district communication officer or a professional marketing agency will avoid communications that appear (and probably are) rushed and incomplete.
4. Mix it up based on data.
Carefully plan a mix of strategic tools, whether you are communicating yourself or informing others’ communication plans. Being mindful of your community's demographics will lead to more collaborative, positive outcomes. The ages, income levels, and home languages in your community can all change, which can make some tools more or less likely to work well. Knowing the key members of your population may mean providing your information both digitally and in print, for example.
Explore different tools for communication. What tools are out there, and who/how are they using them? Staying on top of the latest trends can expand how you communicate about your district and how engagingly you communicate. Perhaps increase district presence on one platform (LinkedIn for recruiting, YouTube for short videos, Facebook and Instagram for engagement) while decreasing usage on the others.
Braham believes that transparency and strategic communications are fundamental to building trust. Increasing opportunities for community members to discuss district-related topics fosters a shared vision and understanding of the district. While social media tools present a variety of such opportunities, they aren't the only avenues to communication. Find out what works for your community.