Upper Dublin unveils communications audit; residents press for broader outreach and contract transparency

The Upper Dublin School District presented the findings of a communications audit at its Sept. 29 board meeting, and residents used the public comment period to press the district for broader outreach and clearer public materials — including a request that future collective-bargaining summaries be published in the meeting packet.

Communications Director Ms. Yoder told the board she conducted focus groups, a community survey with about 400 respondents, analytics review and internal observations during her audit. She said focus-group participants commonly reported feeling “overwhelmed” by the amount and fragmentation of district communications and that the audit identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Among the strengths, Ms. Yoder cited consistent building-level newsletters and regular use of email. Weaknesses included inconsistent information distribution across the district and website navigability. Opportunities listed by Ms. Yoder included standardizing messaging, a website redesign and expanded outreach to residents who do not have children in district schools. The audit’s short-term plan includes a communications schedule, workflow standardization and accessibility training. She said a change in how building newsletters are distributed has tripled average views to approximately 7,500 per newsletter.

Board members asked about next steps. Mr. Hutt (board member) praised the work and asked what changes residents should expect first; Ms. Yoder said expanded outreach to nonparent residents and more social-media content were priorities, and she described plans to use metrics and future focus groups to refine work over a two-to-three year review cycle.

During the public comment period, several residents reiterated the need for clearer communication: Anita Brister (Fort Washington) asked for a short public summary of the collective bargaining contract and for percentage increases by year; Jenny Vitella (Ambler) suggested a periodic mailed newsletter to reach residents who do not have children in the district; Janice Sandberg (Fort Washington) pushed back against placing a transportation facility in a residential neighborhood and tied that concern to communications and outreach; and student representatives requested that student-facing newsletters and social media be expanded and student-generated content be considered.

Superintendent Doctor Smith and Ms. Yoder said the district maintains a community distribution list and that residents without children can sign up for the district’s biweekly News from the Nest email. Doctor Smith said further follow-up with individual residents on specific questions was appropriate and that the administration and communications office would use the audit results to guide next steps.

Ms. Yoder listed longer-term goals: full website redesign, a comprehensive branding guide, a media strategy and continuous review cycles for data-driven improvements. She also noted technology improvements inside platforms such as Infinite Campus to better support communications.