District communications director previews website launches, kindergarten campaign and outreach plans

Lisa Palmieri, the district's communications director, told the communications committee on March 3 that the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) audit of district communications is still in progress and will be presented at the committee's April meeting. "The CCIU presentation has been scheduled for the next communication committee meeting in April," she said, adding that the unit has sent raw data and summary findings that she will use with the district's planning subcommittees.

The audit data, Palmieri said, showed growing optimism tied to the new superintendent's entry plan and an increase in trust toward the district, but also a continued desire for more and clearer information. "They really recognized the efforts that have been being made across the district to improve communication," she said.

Palmieri said the district plans a soft launch of recently redesigned school websites now and a fuller, more public launch next school year. She reported that the remaining three elementary school sites were nearly complete and expected to be launched within weeks. She described a content‑creation process that will give principals and departments a clearer workflow for submitting stories and photography to the central site, and said she will increase photography and social posting once the sites are stable.

Nut graf: The committee heard that the communications office is shifting from decentralized school newsletters toward more centralized, branded district pages and tools (including a continued presence in principals' S'more newsletters), while preparing a multifaceted kindergarten recruitment and community outreach campaign designed to boost registration before the June 1 target date.

Palmieri described a packaged outreach campaign aimed at preschool directors and families to promote kindergarten registration, coordinated with Mary D. Lang (MDL) and the registrar's office. The campaign includes a colorful logo and printed materials (two‑sided flyers in English and Spanish), 5‑inch round promotional cards, bilingual stickers for children, and giveaway items delivered directly to more than 20 preschool locations. "Our goal would be to meet or exceed the kindergarten enrollment that we presently have," she said, and noted the effort was intended to be memorable and to make registration easier for families.

Committee members and staff discussed small survey options to reduce respondent fatigue, including short in‑newsletter polls and single‑click "thumbs up/thumbs down" prompts. Palmieri said she will use the district's SMART newsletter package to run short questions in the coming school year and that she plans a strategic communications calendar for the next academic year. "Short, sweet, regular" checks, she said, can supplement deeper focus groups and longer surveys.

Palmieri also said the district is negotiating its website translation service (Weglot) limits and will increase capacity to ensure more content is available in languages other than English. She verified that principals' newsletters are accessible in the district content management system and that a link to board meeting livestreams (with instructions for closed captioning and language selection on YouTube) has been placed in the board section.

On community partnerships and student content, Palmieri outlined plans to work with the high school's Demon Press and with athletics and student photographers to source content and photos for the site. She said she will meet with the Demon Press advisors and students to explore student contributions and a possible ongoing partnership for student‑produced stories.

Palmieri also addressed the district's recent interaction with federal law enforcement. She said district leadership convened executive staff in anticipation of possible school visits on Feb. 21, issued an email to staff and a website pop‑up to inform families, and then monitored the situation. "We reiterated that we are committed to FERPA and federal law, and that we were, in fact, having normal operations," she said, adding that the district will notify families only if a future incident could involve a school visit.

Committee members asked whether attendance was affected by the law‑enforcement activity; Palmieri said she did not have that data but expected Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders to address it at the next board meeting. She also said she had discussed creating a family crisis resources page with counseling staff to centralize mental‑health and crisis information.

Ending: Palmieri closed with an invitation for committee members and families to use a website form for suggestions, and said she will continue to develop a district communications calendar, expand multilingual access, and increase student‑driven content and photography as the new school year planning continues.