Woodridge District 68 Proposes Adding Community Engagement Position

reviewed a multi-stage plan to improve its communication and marketing Monday, from improving its website and holding media trainings for staff to reaching out to new parents and empty-nesters and expanding opportunities for bilingual parents to get involved.

Of the 50 to 60 recommendations presented, the request to create a full-time Community Engagement position garnered the most discussion. 

Read more about the full district plan Thursday.

The new staff member would, among other responsibilities, help to create and maintain partnerships with local businesses and implement the district’s communication plan.

Building partnerships would bring more revenue to the district, Superintendent Cathy Skinner said. Implementing the communication plan would provide more consistency and follow-through to the district’s communication with parents, staff and the community. 

“What’s lacking in this district is the communication,” Skinner said. “I think we need to be tooting our own horn. We do good things and it’s not getting out there.” 

Having a dedicated communication staff person would also help in situations such as the . “It was very, very hard to be doing everything at the beginning of the school year and get the message out,” she said.

School district officials hope to hire someone to start July 1 in the position, which will offer a $50,000-$65,000 salary. The dollar amount was determined to be an “attractive opportunity,” Patrick Broncato, assistant superintendent for personnel, said.

Both Downers Grove School District 58 and have communication directors. District 68 currently has no staff person dedicated to communication and marketing.

The need to improve the district's communication has been an obvious one. In the district’s 19 focus groups to produce its five-year strategic goals last year, there were two common concerns, Skinner said: school lunches and communication.

That led the district to include the communication goal to "provide consistent and effective communication to all community stakeholders" and commission a district-wide communication audit. 

The district reviewed the lengthy audit findings in February. Karen Kleinz, associate director from the National School Public Relations Association, strongly recommended adding a full-time communication director. 

"If you don't, it's very hard to position yourself as a progressive and innovative district," Kleinz said. "You're surrounded by districts doing some pretty sophisticated things...Today's parents are communicating about everything and they expect us to be communicating and instantly responsive to them." 

School board members Scott Salerno and Jeff Cortez both questioned the cost of the position.

In response, Skinner pointed to the business partnerships the position will develop. “We can get money flowing into the school if we can work with businesses,” Skinner said. 

Hiring a Community Engagement staff member would also save the district the $9,270 it would spend on a media consultant. 

The district plans to cut its Spirit of 68 publications from six to three a year, another recommendation from the communication audit. This would save $19,380 a year.

The publication, instead of focusing on school current events which are usually weeks old by the time it’s received, would focus on bigger issues, Broncato said, such as test scores and district finances.

The district is saving in other roles, as well, Skinner said. 

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Greg Wolcott and Assistant Superintendent of Business Kevin Wegner each cover two positions, she said. 

The District 68 school board will vote to approve or reject the position at its next meeting on May 21.