Broward Schools launches $1.2 million marketing push and new customer-service plan to stabilize enrollment

Broward County Public Schools rolled out a $1.2 million marketing campaign and a districtwide customer-service initiative at the Jan. 21 school board workshop, with staff saying the investment is intended to stabilize falling enrollment and make it easier for families to enroll in and navigate district schools.

The marketing plan, presented by John Sullivan, the district’s chief communication and legislative affairs officer, and Jose Perez, executive director of Beacon and marketing, uses a mix of paid, owned and earned media, targeted zip-code buys and an enrollment landing page, browardschools.com/choosebcps, to funnel prospective families to an inquiry form. “Our primary goal of the marketing plan is to stabilize our enrollment,” Perez said. The team expects the $1.2 million investment to pay for itself if it results in 150 newly retained or recruited students, using an $8,000 conservative full-time-equivalent (FTE) estimate per student.

Why it matters: BCPS has lost students in recent years and staff told the board the district must “compete” with charter, private and other options. The campaign pairs advertising — TV, radio, movie-theater previews and targeted digital buys — with efforts to improve how families experience the district when they inquire or arrive at a campus.

What staff described - Media and targeting: Beacon-produced 13 15-second TV spots (themes include athletics, kindergarten, safety and career-pathway programs)…