Traditional public school districts face an increasingly competitive market, and from charter and magnet schools to online learning and even homeschooling, families have a multitude of education options right at their fingertips.

The pandemic caused about a three percent decrease in U.S. public elementary and secondary school district enrollment alone, and looking ahead, enrollment is estimated to decline further, slipping to 46.9 million by 2031.

Today’s parents are more informed and selective about their educational choices, and this heightened competition is pushing public school districts to respond. As school choice continues to expand, districts need to distinguish themselves, communicate their value to parents and students, and take a more proactive approach to enrollment management.

This shift has prompted an important question: How do public school districts retain their students and also attract new families?

Superintendents and school district leadership manage district policies and budgets, and communication offices are busy with schools’ daily needs...so who should dedicate themselves to managing enrollment?

The answer might be a role with enough time, resources, and knowledge to ensure that your district remains the preferred choice for education — the enrollment director.

Why Your District Might Need a Director of Enrollment

Sure, “enrollment” is a term typically reserved for private schools, but with today's challenges, having a position solely focused on these goals is more important than ever.

Marketing, community engagement, strategic planning, and creating a better enrollment experience are all big factors in the public’s perception of your district, and having a point person to lead these efforts could be the difference between a thriving district with additional funding and school closures.

Navigating School Choice Expansion

The growth of charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, and homeschooling options means families are looking beyond their neighborhood schools, and an enrollment director can help your district stand out.
In recent years, the landscape of school choice saw significant developments:

• Charter School Expansions: Many states have been actively expanding access to charter schools and as of last year, approximately 7,800 charter schools are serving more than 6% of students across the country​​​.
   
• Magnet schools continue to grow, and more than 4,000 magnet schools are serving about 4.9% of students nationwide.
   
• Online learning and homeschooling saw a boost during the pandemic and still account for more than 3 million students.
   
• Open enrollment is also expanding. Today, a dozen states currently allow parents to send their children to schools outside their district to any traditional public school.
   
• Scholarship tax credit programs and voucher systems are also expanding, and even education savings accounts (ESA) are becoming more common, allowing families to use funds for a variety of educational expenses.
   
• Specific states have made strides in school choice expansion — Idaho passed a law enabling students to attend public schools regardless of their ZIP Code, and Indiana is working to make its Choice Scholarship Program nearly universal.

An enrollment director is responsible for more than helping a school district manage and boost its student numbers; their role is about retaining current families and attracting new families, too. Essentially, it’s about making sure families know why they should pick their district over all the others, and that involves marketing.

Marketing the District's Strengths and Offerings

Every district has something special about it, whether it's an amazing STEM program, a winning sports team, or a fantastic arts department. An enrollment director partners with the district’s communications office and school leadership to create compelling marketing materials, maintain an engaging and informative website, and use social media to share stories about what students are doing and achieving — show families everything their children can be a part of.

Sharing success stories from within the district, celebrating student achievements, and highlighting innovative programs are all part of an important brand strategy that attracts new families.

A district can be more visible and appealing to students and their families when enrollment goals are supported by targeted messaging, too. That’s huge for influencing the flow of new families to the area, considering one report suggests that 73% of families said school boundaries were a key factor where families choose to move.

Improving the Enrollment Process for Families

An organized approach to managing enrollment numbers can make a difference, and enrolling students shouldn't be plagued by roadblocks that might make families think twice about choosing the district.
By simplifying paperwork and making information easily accessible, an enrollment director can make the enrollment experience positive.

First impressions are everything, and making enrollment easy for families is a chance to start a relationship off on the right foot. Eanes Independent School District recently updated its enrollment process for its transfer and Spanish immersion students with Finalsite Enrollment.

Community Engagement and Feedback

As an enrollment director works to bring more students into the district, retaining students is essential to creating a better, more responsive system. Listening to families is an important part of the job, and talking to parents, students, and teachers can help reveal what they like about the district and what could be better. 

An enrollment director can act as a liaison between your district and its community. Gathering feedback is valuable because it helps your district know how to keep students enrolled. A simple online form, similar to what Adams County School District 14 has provided, can help collect insights about programming, scheduling, and more.

Strategic Planning for Enrollment Growth and Retention

An enrollment director needs a big-picture view of the district to analyze trends, predict future enrollment numbers, and plan accordingly. This means understanding what makes the district special and how to share that with families. They look at the numbers, local enrollment trends, and how many students are coming in or leaving and develop a strategy to keep students in the district and attract new ones.

Many districts focus on improving enrollment as part of their strategic long-term goals. Responsible stewardship is a part of Birmingham Public School’s strategic plan, which includes marketing the district to increase student enrollment to reach 8,000 students, roughly a 6 1/2 % increase by 2027.

As part of a recent website redesign, BPS looked at its enrollment process to see where it could improve. “We focused on early access points for enrollment,” said marketing and communications manager Cortez Strickland, adding that “during our strategic planning process, one of our pillars was that we wanted to go out and boldly market the district. Considering the competition with private schools, it was essential to revamp our district's website to make it more engaging and user-friendly." 

“We wanted to ensure that our families and communities, even those who don't live within the district but wanted to be a part of it, have those early access points, become students, have a great experience, and stay with us all the way through graduation.”

Key Takeaway

Enrollment directors serve as a bridge between the district and families. They ensure that families know how great the district is, make enrollment easy, and listen to what families need and want. With today's challenges, having a position focused on enrollment and retention goals is more important than ever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.