Donovan Group presents communications audit; district to pursue new brand and engagement plan

The Belvidere CUSD 100 Board of Education heard a communications-audit presentation June 16 from Lori Miller, a partner with the Donovan Group, outlining recommendations to streamline district communications, increase multilingual outreach and develop a new brand.

Miller described a multi-part audit that included an inventory of communications, 31 one-on-one interviews with key communicators, a survey with 302 full responses and nine focus groups including students, families (including non-native English speakers), staff and business partners. Key findings included heavy reliance on ParentSquare for parent communications, inconsistent messaging frequency across schools and opportunities to improve website consistency and multilingual access.

Recommendations presented to the board included: establish clear guidelines for frequency and quality of communications; strengthen internal staff communications and professional development to grow capacity for consistent messaging; expand outreach to community members not affiliated with the district; and launch a refreshed district brand to highlight district strengths. Miller said the team will support a 12-month roadmap and a communications guide (handbook) for consistent implementation.

Board members asked about measurement and baselines; Miller said the audit provides a baseline and that the district can re-survey after implementation to measure progress. Miller confirmed ParentSquare’s translation features are in use but noted automatic translation is not perfect and recommended continued multilingual communications. The board signaled support for the branding work and asked for a follow-up presentation next month on branding deliverables.