Richfield communications director outlines enrollment-marketing plan to boost retention and in-district choice

Jennifer Smith, director of communications and marketing for Richfield Public Schools, presented the district's enrollment-marketing plan Oct. 27, summarizing research, targets and proposed tactics aimed at increasing enrollment and retention.

Smith said the plan drew on multiple sources: district intake forms and follow-up surveys, a 10-year Minnesota Department of Education data request on enrollment flows, two years of internal survey data, a 2023 referendum research study and a market analysis of neighboring public, private and charter schools. Smith told the board her team identified the top five districts involved in transfers over the 10-year period (Minneapolis, Bloomington, Burnsville, the I-96 corridor and Edina). She said Richfield now sees net gains compared with earlier years and that geographies showing recent growth include south Minneapolis and east Bloomington; staff also noted an increase in Spanish-speaking families among incoming students.

Nut graf: The plan focuses on three priorities: recruiting families already in the district to choose Richfield schools (in-district retention), targeted outreach to nearby areas whose families open-enroll into/away from the district, and improving transitions that historically see larger attrition (preK'K, 5'6 and 8'9). Proposed tactics include enhanced email workflows and follow-up, school showcases and tours, a parent/student ambassador program, stronger school social media through a Social Schools for EDU rollout, promotional materials and a Spartan guide for grades 6'12.

Smith described in-district strategies to reduce "summer melt" (enrolled families who do not appear on the first day) by keeping families engaged between enrollment and the school year. The presentation outlined social-media training and a requirement that secondary-level school storytellers blog 3'5 times per month. Smith also described a secret-shopping exercise in which district staff enroll in other districts to learn best practices and said the district will replicate that work this winter.

During board Q&A, members pressed Smith on data labeling (she agreed to recheck a slide that appeared to mislabel private-school counts) and asked whether the district uses exit surveys consistently; Smith said exit surveys have not been consistently applied but that consistent exit-feedback is a tactic to be pursued in the marketing plan. Board members and staff encouraged continued data sharing and noted the marketing work should be accompanied by school-level follow-up and parent engagement activities.

Smith said work to finalize measurable goals and tactics is ongoing and that the marketing plan will inform enrollment meetings, school-specific value propositions and outreach work in the coming months.