Marketing Your Catholic School: Information from the DSB Fall In-service

The Diocesan School Board Spring In-service was an unqualified success. Everyone who came out to St. Gregory's was treated to great hospitality, excellent food, and lots of good information.

If you weren't able to attend, or if you'd like to share what you learned with members of your school community, click the links below for more information.

Why choose a Catholic school for your family?

Your school's curb appeal

Three keys to email marketing

Mark your calendar! Our next in-service, which will focus on marketing your Catholic identity, will be held on Saturday, September 20. Look for more information as the date draws closer.

Recap of the March 5 Diocesan School Board Meeting

The Diocesan School Board met on March 5, 2014. Some of the highlights:

• The Board was joined by representatives from the St. Vincent de Paul School Advisory Board. Sr. Julie, principal, talked about the school's marketing efforts and how they have managed to get their enrollment up to over 600. The key: reaching out personally to families at Sunday Mass, promoting the Arizona Tuition Tax Credit, and making sure families know tuition assistance is available for those who want it. Thanks to the help of the Daughters of Charity and the utilization of the tax credit program, St. Vincent de Paul has become a shining example of how schools can really reach out to their community and fill their classrooms. (Note: any local school advisory board who wishes to come to a meeting of the Diocesan School Board is welcome. See your DSB representative for details.)
• The finance committee reported that the high school enrollment and budget figures are all healthy. The high school admissions departments are looking at record numbers of applicants for the upcoming school year.
• The spring in-service will be held on March 5 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Gregory. The topics will be curb appeal, composing your school's elevator speech, and digital marketing. The latter topic will be the major gist of the evening, featuring a presentation by Eric Olsen of Fasturtle, a digital marketing company. About 100 people are signed up.
• The Catholic Schools Office reports that principal searches are being conducted at St. Jerome and St. Theresa, ten schools have completed the accreditation process with ten more coming up next year, and a steering committee is in place as we begin a feasibility study for the planned West Valley high school.

Make a Post-Catholic Schools Week Plan!

Catholic Schools Week is over. You've evaluated the Open House, you've followed up with potential new families, and you've swept up the confetti from the teacher-student volleyball game.

Now what?

You know you're not done with recruitment, not by a long shot. So here are a few things to put on your to-do list for the coming months.

• Plan at least one more Open House. It can be a Sunday after the Masses (move the hospitality table to your school courtyard!) or even a weeknight. Put the date at the top of your website, advertise in church bulletins, and get the word out through the Catholic Sun using their free Sunbeams. Recruit your student ambassadors, get your parents baking cookies, and get ready to show off everything your school has to offer!
• Make plans to send a few representatives to the preschool information nights in your area. Make sure they're armed with lots of information about your school.
• Educate your parents about the importance of filling out their FAIR (Financial Aid Independent Review) form so they can get the maximum amount of scholarship money available to them. The deadline is April 15! 
• Make sure you have your tuition set for the 2014-15 school year! Current and prospective parents need that vital information for planning purposes. Once you've settled on the number, publish it on your website, in your parish bulletin, and put it in the information packet given to prospective families.
• Take a look at your information packet. Does it include everything a family needs to register? Is all of your contact information (phone, emails, website) visible right away?
• Do a thorough assessment of your website. Eliminate anything that's outdated, post new photos, and spruce up the language if it needs it. Take a look at the teachers' pages, too, and if there is old or outdated information there, gently point it out to them.
• Take a look at your school's outward appearance. Is it warm and inviting? Do visitors know how to get to the office? 

Finally, plan to join the Diocesan School Board at our spring evening in-service on March 6. We'll be covering three simple topics: Preparing Your School's Elevator Speech (why your school's the best in a paragraph or less), Your School's Curb Appeal, and Digital Marketing, Your School's Most Cost-Effective Marketing Tool. We're meeting at St. Gregory's Gordon Hall at 5:30 p.m. and we promise to have you out of there by 7 p.m. A light supper will be served. RSVP with your name and school so we'll have enough for everyone.