District unveils 'Why Clay' marketing plan and digital enrollment push to boost enrollment
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Summary
Clay County communications described a three‑part strategy—digital excellence/brand storytelling, early‑entry capture (VPK/kindergarten) and a streamlined family experience—backed by increased teacher adoption of the Apogee Rooms parent platform.
District communications staff presented a multi‑pronged plan to improve enrollment and family engagement at the Jan. 27 workshop, emphasizing digital assets and targeted outreach.
Sabrina Thomas, chief communications and community engagement officer, introduced a small four‑person team responsible for centralizing digital presence, standardizing school communications and supporting family engagement. The district highlighted Apogee Rooms (classroom pages) implementation, reporting roughly 6,082 'rooms' created and a claimed teacher adoption rate near 94%; staff provided counts of messaging activity as early adoption metrics.
The communications plan centers on three priorities: digital excellence and brand storytelling (a 'Why Clay' campaign to gather family testimonials and showcase pathways), capturing entry points (simpler, more visible VPK/kindergarten enrollment funnels and a concierge 'Ask Clay' button), and improving the family experience (welcome events, streamlined registration, and school tours). The team recommended fixing organizational navigation to surface school‑choice options, CTE programs and specialized pathways more prominently.
Staff recommended cleaning and simplifying web content and communication flows before committing to large paid buys such as mailers or billboards; they provided sample cost estimates for potential paid tactics and said they would pilot micro‑targeted mail and digital ads only after confirming the web experience is clear and enroll now flows are prominent.
Board members supported the focus on user‑friendly materials, micro‑targeted outreach for specific grades or program types, and emerging metrics showing early engagement with the district's digital tools. The board gave consensus to allow staff to continue refining community standards and communication materials.