Education IT Reporter

By Lindsey Canny, copywriter, Skyward.

If your students, families, and employees had more options, would they still choose you? Take a lesson from the districts who already know the answer to that question because of their powerful online identities.

By building your district’s online presence through technology, you encourage ongoing engagement from students, employees, and parents. You stand out to your community and communicate a strong culture. Dive in to a trove of examples in four core platforms.

1. District website

Your website is the first place the community turns to for finding information about the district. Make sure they like what they see by taking the following into account:

• Clean, elegant designs: Using modular design, easily accessible information, and minimal color palettes makes navigation easy for every visitor, bumping up view time.
• A lasting first impression: Your website is a reflection of your district. Attract prospective students and staff by keeping community culture front and center.
• Information central: Add the district calendar, news updates, lunch menu, and all other need-to-know info to your front page to keep families in-the-know.

2. Social media

Building a social media presence keeps brand messaging in your own hands. Keep the focus on school culture with these in mind:

• Consistent posting: News, shoutouts, and updates should be posted nearly every single day to boost engagement.
• Community-driven content: Posts that regularly feature the successes and highlights of staff, students, and the surrounding community get more views.
• Diverse points of interest: Parents, students, and teachers in the district want to see their unique clubs, cultures, and interests celebrated on social media.

3. Videos

Videos offer viewers a way to peek into your community’s day-to-day life and culture. Here’s how to put your district’s best image on display:

• Organize for accessibility: Videos that are grouped into playlists for effortless access makes it easy to garner return viewership and audience captivation.
• Quality content = quality district: Attention to detail and planning in content reflects positively on a district’s image of capability and expertise.
• Student and staff engagement: Students and staff should be featured in videos, and their participation in the creation process increases buy-in.

4. Student Information System (SIS)

The district SIS provides a direct line between your staff, students, and families it serves. Here’s how an innovative SIS can support the entire community:

• Family access, everywhere: SIS accessibility through both desktop and mobile can keep parents invested and open to communication.
• Workloads, streamlined: When families use the SIS to communicate with teachers, pay fees, and register online, there is less work on the shoulders of your staff.
• Involvement inspires improvement: Getting the entire district involved in the SIS improves overall culture and communication, which can lead to district growth.

While no two districts are alike, every district can improve their visibility, engagement, and community standing with a strong online presence without a major overhaul. Small improvements to your website, social media pages, and video library can energize interest in your district, making it the place to be for employees and families.