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Arlington ISD communications team outlines ad campaign, customer-service training and "battle card" for school savings outreach
Summary
At an Oct. 2, 2025 workshop, Arlington ISD's communications and family engagement staff showed a sentiment ad campaign that staff said has reached about 160,000 impressions, described districtwide customer-service training, and unveiled a "battle card" to prepare staff for expected school savings account outreach in January.
ARLINGTON, Texas ' At a workshop on Oct. 2, Arlington ISD's communications and family engagement teams outlined a multi-pronged marketing strategy that includes a districtwide sentiment ad campaign, standardized campus signage and customer-service training intended to make campuses feel more welcoming to families.
Staff played two campaign videos for trustees and said the sentiment campaign, launched Sept. 23, has reached roughly 160,000 impressions across YouTube and other streaming outlets. Communications staff also described website responsiveness improvements and mock-ups for standardized, bilingual adhesive door signage that would indicate visitor procedures without interfering with state-required safety film.
The presentation emphasized that marketing work must be grounded in the district's day-to-day interactions with families. "Well, we know it's not magic. It takes hard work," Aaron Perales, executive director of family and community engagement, said as he described the district's family engagement framework and a customer-service curriculum staff have begun delivering to campus clerks and administrative teams.
Perales told trustees the district trained up to 75 campus clerks and provided customer-service training for the business office to establish consistent practices across sites. Staff said the training focuses on accessibility, responsiveness and, centrally, empathy to shape parents' first impressions when they call or visit a school.
Communications staff also reviewed internal engagement efforts meant to build employee buy-in and a consistent brand: a districtwide employee mentorship program, an HR Instagram presence, a "besties" recognition campaign and light staff engagement concepts such as employee "bingo" and lunch-and-learn sessions to increase cross-department familiarity.
A focal point of the discussion was a preparatory "battle card" the communications team is developing ahead of an announced application opening for educational school savings accounts in January. Staff warned trustees that roughly 87 private and charter schools operate within 10 miles of the district and said recruiters from those schools could reach out to Arlington families. The battle card is intended to equip principals and front-office staff with concise talking points and branded materials to highlight Arlington ISD's academic programs and opportunities.
The communications presenter asked trustees to pledge concrete amplification actions over the next 90 days ' posting on social channels, attending campus visits for content, writing op-eds or spotlighting under-visited schools. Several trustees volunteered to visit campuses and post specific praise on their trustee pages.
Staff said many ideas will be piloted in the second half of the fall semester and emphasized a daily approach to celebrating school-level wins. The meeting concluded when the board recessed into closed session pursuant to the Texas Government Code. No formal votes were recorded during the workshop.
