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Smith‑Green officials outline tightened communications strategy, cite 99.8% ParentSquare reach ahead of possible referendum
Summary
District communications staff presented a three‑goal plan to standardize messaging, expand social media and deepen external partnerships; presenters said ParentSquare reaches nearly 99.8% of families and reported a 61% increase in engagement on certain school pages year‑over‑year.
Smith‑Green Community Schools’ communications team told the board on March 16 that the district is tightening digital and community outreach ahead of a potential fall referendum, highlighting metrics the administration says will help reach voters and families.
Presenters described three primary goals: develop a clear, coordinated district communication plan to support transparency and stakeholder engagement; establish a unified marketing and social media approach across school accounts; and deepen connections with community partners to amplify student achievements and district events.
The communications presenter told the board that ParentSquare — the district’s parent‑notification platform — reaches 99.8% of families. "99.8% of our families receive information through ParentSquare. That's incredible," the presenter said, and showed quarter‑to‑quarter growth in both message volume and family engagement.
Administrators noted a roughly 61% increase in social media engagement for junior/senior high accounts compared with the same period last year and said the district will standardize account names, clean up inactive pages and set expectations for coaches and activity sponsors to post regular results and schedule updates. Board members and staff discussed the logistics of ensuring coaches supply timely game and meet results and explored short‑form automation (including AI‑generated summaries) to help surface key announcements.
The presenters emphasized community outreach beyond social platforms — staffing attendance at Rotary meetings, church conversations and mailers to reach families who may not be active online. They also warned that some legacy pages and usernames are unavailable, meaning cleanup will be gradual.
Board members asked for clearer naming conventions and more consistent posting by coaches; staff said they are making those expectations part of the communications plan and will continue to monitor metrics. The presentation was described as part of regular strategic‑plan work and framed as preparatory for broader community conversations later in the year.
The board heard the communications presentation as part of its regular agenda and then moved into consent and personnel items.
