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District reviews communications plan, virtual‑academy marketing and pending grants
Summary
Staff presented a communications and grants update, including a paid advertising campaign for the Virtual Academy, a pending $71,000 grant, and a plan for a student social‑media ambassador program; staff said tracking of ad‑to‑enrollment conversions remains incomplete.
District communications staff presented an update on grants and marketing at the Sept. 17 meeting, outlining a paid advertising push for the Virtual Academy and a number of pending grant applications.
Staff said federal grant funding is trending downward and that the district applied for a major grant (outcome unknown) that could total about $71,000. Separately, the communications team reported one awarded grant of $1,500 to purchase orphan instruments at the elementary school and described plans to reapply next year for a $10,000 middle‑school gifted‑and‑talent grant. The coordinator said the district is pursuing cybersecurity monitoring services and other district‑wide grants for staff wellness and sensory‑room improvements.
On marketing, staff shared copy for a Virtual Academy ad and described demographic and geographic targeting aimed at adults 24–44 and households with children 5–18, with a focus on the Milwaukee area. Paid social media and streaming advertising were cited at roughly 35,000–44,000 impressions and a contract item noted at $1,575; staff said more analytics and weekly reporting are being developed to link advertising to enrollment conversions.
Board members asked about return on investment and tracking of how new students heard about the district; the coordinator said contact‑source fields on enrollments are not always completed but that forthcoming reports should give a clearer picture. Staff also proposed a moderated student ambassador program for social media and continued quarterly newsletters to increase outreach.
Staff emphasized that if the large pending grant is not awarded, they will continue to pursue state and local funding and private foundations to support programs.
