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Wayne-Westland presents district-wide communications plan; highlights CareerTech growth, parent advisory team and bond outreach
Summary
District communications staff outlined a marketing strategy focused on branding, social media expansion and community engagement, citing growth at the Career Technical Center and creation of a district parent advisory team to inform outreach and programming.
The Wayne-Westland Community School District on Tuesday presented a district-wide communications and marketing plan that officials said is meant to boost enrollment, strengthen community trust and support a pending bond measure.
The presentation was delivered by staff member Jessa (presenting staff), who said the district’s tagline is “Great future start right here” and described marketing as a tool to “increase awareness, boost engagement, and then drive enhancement.” Jessa said the district uses its website (wwcsd.net) as a primary information hub and relies on social media, targeted emails, digital signage and direct mail to reach families and the broader community.
Jessa highlighted programs the district is marketing to attract and retain students, including the William D. Ford Career Technical Center. She said CareerTech enrollment rose from 621 students in the 2021–22 school year to 969 students this year and noted that 384 of the students currently attending come from other districts. “We’ve been very strategic about how we are marketing that program,” Jessa said.
The presenter described a new district Parent Advisory Team formed this year: applications closed with about 70 parents interested, and the group will meet quarterly to provide input on district decisions. Jessa also said schools are creating TikTok channels and other short-form video to tell student and school stories, and that the district is expanding video storytelling in response to where families and students consume media.
On the bond campaign the district will run in November, Jessa said the district will use postcards, lawn signs and streaming audio ads; she said an iHeartMedia campaign ran near the close of the school-of-choice window featuring 30-second spots from four staff members promoting athletics, elementary programs, CareerTech, and middle-school offerings.
Board members and staff discussed parent communication preferences and recommended adding a QR code to business cards to link readers to points-of-pride on the district website. Jessa said the district is also exploring livestreaming board meetings and has shared research with administration and legal counsel.
The presentation concluded with next steps: continuing social-media and video outreach, starting a district parent advisory team in October with student advisory planning to follow, and targeted recruitment for high-demand programs such as early college and kindergarten registration.
