Public Charter School Rebranding and Enrollment Enhancement
Strategic approach, to transform public charter school’s enrollment landscape and overall reputation in the community.
Company & Industry Overview
The case study examines a public charter school situated in a medium-sized school district, catering to preschool through 5th-grade students. Although the school has the capacity to enroll up to 700 students, it fell short by several hundred, leading to underutilization of its resources and facilities. The school offers a variety of additional services and programs, including special education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and access to an in-house psychologist and speech pathologist. Furthermore, it was recognized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate school. This scenario underscores the necessity for enhanced enrollment strategies and efforts to revitalize the school’s image, aiming to attract more students and fully utilize its available resources.
Challenge
The public charter school had significant issues regarding its reputation and staff retention, exacerbated by multiple leadership changes. This instability made it difficult to establish the school as a quality safe and educational choice for parents. The lack of effective messiging and engagement on social media contributed to the challenge of attracting applicants during the critical lottery season, resulting in low enrollment numbers that did not meet census expectations.
Pain Points
- Staff and Student Retention: Frequent changes in leadership and staff created instability, impacting both employee morale and student loyalty.
- Reputation: The school struggled with a negative perception among parents and the community, which hindered its attractiveness as an educational option.
- Enrollment: With a declining number of applicants during the lottery season, the school was not meeting its enrollment targets, further affecting its financial sustainability.
Think’s Approach
Think worked closely with the school’s administration to design a marketing strategy to enhance the school’s image and boost enrollment numbers. Central to this initiative was the emphasis on capturing and sharing positive stories from students, and staff, showcasing the school’s unique strengths and successes. The strategy included the creation of compelling social media posts, targeted advertisements, and tailored content aimed at the entire county. Additionally, recognizing the diverse population the school serves, all marketing materials were translated into Spanish. This approach aimed to create a positive perception of the school and attract more families to consider enrollment.
Results
The impact of the 17 month-long rebranding campaign was significant. In the 2023 school year, the school received only 48 lottery applicants. However, following the rebranding efforts, that included social media, email marketing, press releases and sharing on mom groups, the 2024 lottery saw an impressive increase, with a total of 453 applicants. Each applicant represented a revenue of $18,000, highlighting the financial benefits of improved enrollment, creating the potential for up to $7M more in revenue.
Outcomes
- Social Media Growth: Total followers increased by 86%
- Increased Enrollment: The number of lottery applications surged by 389, representing an 800% increase from the previous year.
- Revenue Increase: This boost in applications translated into the potential for up to $7 million more in revenue.