MISHAWAKA — School City of Mishawaka officials have approved a new communications and marketing plan that calls for hiring one full-time and one part-time employee.
The plan, approved at Tuesday's school board meeting, also calls for implementing a comprehensive strategy for how the school district shares information with students, families, employees and the public.
It's an acknowledgement that — with profound changes in media and voucher-fueled competition among public and private schools — marketing has become critically important for school districts.
"We have to be more proactive as an organization, we have to tell our story more clearly, we have to provide information that is meaningful," Mishawaka Superintendent Dean Speicher said after Tuesday's meeting. "This grew out of the community saying we need to tell the story of School City of Mishawaka more effectively."
The 20-page plan approved Tuesday will guide school officials as they work to gather more feedback from the community, highlight the district's successes and be accountable to the public.
For example, staff will monitor social media to engage in more conversations about Mishawaka schools, and some staff members will be designated as experts on certain topics and trained to interact with media effectively. The school district also will develop "a news portal" with photos, videos and articles about Mishawaka schools.