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Communications team outlines branding research showing family‑oriented reputation; exit survey flags behavior and response issues
Summary
Communications staff reported results of market research and exit surveys showing Cedar Hill ISD’s strengths as a family‑oriented district and areas for improvement such as behavior management and responsiveness to concerns; team recommended a brand campaign and internal culture work to support recruitment and retention.
Cedar Hill ISD’s communications and marketing team presented research and early recommendations March 3 after completing focus groups, an exit survey and a broader branding survey aimed at identifying what motivates families to enroll and remain with the district.
The district contracted with an outside strategist to run focus groups with pre‑K and kindergarten families and to collect exit surveys from families who left the district in the past three to five years; 769 people completed the broader online branding survey. The research was intended to inform marketing and engagement work to retain and recruit students and staff.
Presenters said the research identified a strong, recurring theme: families who stay in Cedar Hill ISD cite a close‑knit, family‑oriented community as the district’s distinctive strength. The research team recommended leaning on that message for external recruitment while also aligning internal culture and customer service so families experience consistent communication and support.
Researchers also reported reasons families leave or express dissatisfaction: classroom and school behavior concerns, a perceived lack of response to parental concerns (customer‑service issues), and a portion of families who have moved out of the area. In the exit survey sample (25 respondents), 19% said they moved out of the area; presenters said 14% indicated they would likely return to the district while 26.9% were unsure — a group the communications team identified as a priority to target for outreach.
Presenters recommended a two‑track approach: an external branding campaign (tagline and marketing collateral timed to enrollment season) and internal work to embed family‑focused communications and customer‑service expectations into staff practice and professional development. Trustees and staff discussed next steps including how the board can support outreach and how the messaging should align with district values and hiring practices.
Next steps: communications will finalize a tagline and campaign brief with the consultant, develop internal communications and PD aligned to the brand, and deploy an external recruitment campaign timed to enrollment that emphasizes Cedar Hill ISD’s family orientation and school‑choice options.
