SUSD Marketing Plan Proposal

UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE
La Verne, California
PROPOSAL FOR:
Saugus Union School District
A Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for
BUS 665: Strategic Marketing Management
Carlos Acosta
Barbara Boliver
Genevieve Hrdlicka
Ioannis Mikedis
Joe Perry
Robert Rogers
Chad Ottaviano
Lisa Williamson-Parker
College of Business and Public Management

Department of Management and Leadership
March 10, 2014
SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT (PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL) .............................. 5
CHAPTER 2: IMPROVE MARKET SHARE .......................................................................... 6
Project Goals ................................................................................................................................... 6
Target Audience .............................................................................................................................. 7
SWOT Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 7
Strengths ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Weaknesses ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Threats .................................................................................................................................................... 10
Recommendations and Tactics ..................................................................................................... 11

Advertisement ......................................................................................................................................... 14
The Signal and SCVTV ........................................................................................................................... 15
Website ................................................................................................................................................... 15
Social Media ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Parent/Community Loyalty ..................................................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 3: BRANDING ........................................................................................................ 19

Differentiation ............................................................................................................................... 19
School Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Credibility ..................................................................................................................................... 22
After School Programs ........................................................................................................................... 23
Testimonials ............................................................................................................................................ 23
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 4: BOND PROPOSAL ISSUES............................................................................. 27
Promotional Material .................................................................................................................... 27
District Support ............................................................................................................................. 28
Community Support & Media ...................................................................................................... 29
Timeline ........................................................................................................................................ 32
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 34
CHAPTER 5: PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS .............. 36
Overview Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 36
Schedule ........................................................................................................................................ 36
Summary ........................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
References .................................................................................................................................... 39
TABLE OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: SWOT OVERVIEW FOR SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT ................ 8

FIGURE 2: QUALITATIVE STUDY OF TESTIMONIALS ................................................ 24
FIGURE 3: APPROVAL RATINGS & ELECTION PERIOD STATISTICS..................... 29
FIGURE 4: RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE .................................. 36
FIGURE 5: PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.............................................. 37
Abstract
Through a research-driven and informative scholarly literature, this paper is a
comprehensive marketing plan presented to Saugus Union School District. The overall purpose
of this proposal is to present a strategic marketing plan, increase market share, improve brand
image, and publicize future bond initiative for the Saugus Union School District. The different
aspects of the district that are analyzed are the mission statement, goals, strategies, logo, bond
issues, communication (effectiveness, channels, and barriers), and quality of decision making.
CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT (PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL)

With the onset of private schools, specialized schools, home school and charter schools,
the traditional community school is not the only option to educate children. This puts public
education into a new realm of having to market itself in order to gain and/or maintain student
enrollment and to stay fiscally solvent. Saugus Union School District (SUSD) is not only facing
the challenge of competing forces from alternative educational opportunities, but also faced
budget constraints which is forcing it to look into a local bond. The proposed local bond is for
the amount of about $130,000,000, and will be put toward building new facilities, and the
addition of new technologies. A local bond for Saugus USD is not only great for the schools and
the students, but the parents and homeowners of the Santa Clarita Valley as well. A bond that
supports the growth of students and a healthy learning environment to succeed helps increase the
property values of homes in the Santa Clarita Valley. This paper will provide the District a
proposal in alternative marketing strategies for district solvency and the potential bond election.
CHAPTER 2: IMPROVE MARKET SHARE

Project Goals
Saugus Union School District is one of four public elementary school districts in the
Santa Clarita Valley. Previously public schooling was the only option for parents and students;
currently, public schools have seen a growth of competition from private and charter schools.
The loss of student enrollment has caused closures of many campuses throughout the country
and the fiscal crisis that hit California in the last five years, has pushed families to seriously look
into other educational options for their children. Saugus Union School District (SUSD) has not
been immune to these problems. With the closure of one school and declining enrollment,
SUSD struggles to maintain its enrollment base despite impressive test scores, awards, and
parental support.
Being one of the major employers for the Santa Clarita Valley, SUSD has a responsibility
to not only develop a school for all its children, but to also ensure it keeps the work force
employed. As most public districts operate, they get funding from the state based on the number
of children in the classroom. The more students, the more funding is received. In order increase
their funding; SUSD must increase its market share in the community.
With not having competition until recently as well, there was no need to market a public
school. Many times word of mouth or test scores spoke for themselves. Marketing has had
minimal focus in the business of public education. Todays changing community and families
want more than just the basic formal education of reading, writing and arithmetic. Advanced
education, special education, science, safety, sports and other extra-curricular education play a
huge role in the decision of families that choose not only where they live, but where they will

send their children for school.
This paper will develop guidelines on how SUSD can improve
market share, increase its brand value and promote support for a future bond.
Target Audience
The initial target audience for this paper is the Management (Cabinet and Principals) and
Board Members for Saugus Union School District. The recommendations and suggestions are
based on marketing principles and real life study best practices. The challenge of developing
and maintaining brand value starts with upper management and filters down to all levels of
employees within the district. The entire SUSD should be aware of the value to maintain the
brand image of SUSD and assist in the positive marketing strategies.
SWOT Analysis
In order to identify and explore the environment Saugus Union School District is
operating within, it is imperative to evaluate the strengths and opportunities, as well as the
weaknesses and threats that the district is facing. After a thorough review of the current status of
the district, the guiding principle in this effort is to propose strategies to mitigate the potential
areas of concern. Figure 1, below, outlines the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats of the Saugus Union School District.
Weaknesses:
Strengths:
Quality and subject matter focus

amongst district schools
Location (income, crime, wealth,
opportunity)
School Programs
Quality of Educators
Opportunities:
Maintaining and increasing enrollment

Fiscal fatigue
Student/teacher ratio
Threats:
Free education
Proximity to home
One of the largest employers in the
Santa Clarita Valley
Charter and Private schools

State Funding
New form of standardized testing
Figure 1: SWOT Overview for Saugus Union School District

Strengths
As reflected from its recent community outreach presentation, the SUSD incorporates
some of the highest state and country wide performing schools, as seen by the Blue Ribbon
Awards achieved and State distinctions it has received. Other awards and recognitions received
are Title 1 achieving schools and California Business for Education Excellence Honor Roll
(Saugus Union School District, 2013). The district has documented continuous improvements in
test scores for its students year after year with results far exciding the state standards for
excellence. Similarly the Academic Performance Indicators confirm the district is one of the
best in the state.
This proposal suggests that a significant strength the effort made by the district to boost
subject matter differentiation in a number of schools. For example, provide recognition for the
efforts made by Emblem Academy in subjects of Ethics, Science, Technology, Engineering,
Entrepreneurship, and Mathematics. Other worthy examples include Rosedale Elementary

where the focus is Arts and Technology, and Westcreek Academy for Fine Arts. The location
where the district is has as a very strong attracting point. Crime in the area is one of the lowest
in the state and country. According to FBI (2011), the area ranks the 4th safest in the state and
the 13th safest in the country of cities with population of 150,000 and above (Uniform Crime
Report). Another vast strength of the district is the ongoing support of their award-winning
PTA. The SUSD PTA is a significant driver of school fundraisers, after school programs, extra
curricular activities, and volunteer work all of which assist the school and the ongoing
improvement of education.
Weaknesses
Maintaining and increasing enrollment has become a weakness for the district as it
experiences a decrease in enrollment numbers, and a migration of students to private and charter
schools for perceived greater opportunities. The fiscal constraints the district has to manage are
weakening the capacity of the individual schools. These constraints also move the union district
to act aggressively in pursuit of infrastructure improvements that will result in higher capacity of
classrooms, and offer a more demanding curriculum. Fiscal constraints are also a major cause in
increase of children per class, even though the district manages to keep the average class size in
the mid-20s. After school programs and extracurricular activities have also fallen victim to the
budget constraint, resulting in many of them being dropped from schools. The federal furlough
has resulted in less days of the school week, causing students to attend less days of school; which
can hinder educational goals. In the teacher compensation front, freezing of raises has caused
further pressure on the educators trying to maintain enthusiasm and high performance.
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Opportunities
There are various opportunities that the SUSD can seize within the environment. One of
these opportunities is to compete with private and charter schools by remarketing the districts
schools to emphasize their particular academic focus. By announcing these individual academic
focuses to the public, the district can maintain its competitive edge by informing the local
community of its curriculum differentiation. Other opportunities to note are price and location.
Private schools can be a financial burden on families, costing upwards of a thousand dollars per
month; whereas public school provides free education. Location is also a huge opportunity for
the district. The district schools are conveniently located throughout the Santa Clarita Valley,
eliminating the need to send children out of the city for their education. SUSD offers a free
quality education within the local community. The SUSD has also seized a financial opportunity
to pursue a bond issue of approximately $130,000,000 to renovate school grounds, facilities, and
technologies, which should be announced later this year.
Threats
Enrollment has seen some drop in the last few years with the advancement of private and
charter school opportunities. The enrollment has suffered a steady decline of about 4.3% over the
last four years (Saugus Union School District, 2014). The establishment of Einstein Academy,
Santa Clarita Valley international (SCVi), Trinity Classical, Legacy Christian, and Pinecrest, are
all competition for the district, and it is expected that this threat will continue. The threat posed
by new type of standardized testing will present a challenge in adopting new teaching
methodologies to boost test results and ensure continued high performance. The new standards
may skew the results if compared year over year; therefore, the effort has to be made to
normalize the past results with the new ones.
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Recommendations and Tactics

By using the information from the SWOT analysis one can begin to formulate
recommendations for the Saugus Union School District. Our general recommendations are to
transform the districts weaknesses into strengths, and threats into opportunities. As SUSD
consists of some of the highest performing schools in the state and country, it is recommended
that these efforts be continued by Sauguss leading schools, and adopted by the districts substandard schools. It is also suggested that SUSD remarkets its schools to emphasize their
specific academic focuses (i.e. math, technology, arts, etc.). This emphasis on academic focus
will be a driving force for maintaining and increasing enrollment, in addition to remaining
competitive with private and charter schools. It will also let the local community know that
SUSD does have differentiation amongst their schools, which information is not known to the
public.
Beyond the remarketing of the Districts schools to emphasize their academic focus, it is
recommended that a more persistent effort to highlight cost and location. To battle fiscal
constraints and the repercussion of those fiscal constraints, it is recommended that the District
continues its efforts toward the attainment of a local bond issue of $130,000,000, in addition to
hosting more fundraisers and creating more PTA involvement. As the educational environment
evolves, SUSD must evolve with it. This means that the district needs to take a more serious
approach to its marketing efforts. Creating awareness for the Districts differentiation, school
costs, and school locations will create a buzz around Saugus similar to that seen with private and
charter schools. Once parents realize that their children can get a free, focused, and quality
education from the Saugus district, enrollment rates should begin to increase. Our final
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recommendation is that the district adapts new teaching methodologies to boost test results, and
ensure continued high performance once the new form of standardized testing begins.
First and foremost, it is crucial that SUSD continues to achieve success through the
districts existing strengths: differentiation amongst schools, school locations, school programs,
and great teachers. The district can improve the probability of enrollment by focusing on the
districts strengths, and by properly marketing the different schools within SUSD. Maintaining
and improving awards, recognitions, as well as exceeding state standards for excellence are all
crucial steps in promoting the districts success and ongoing improvement. By restructuring
marketing efforts toward the academic focus of each school, SUSD will maintain its competitive
edge with regards to charter and private schools, while catering to the needs of those parents who
want their children to have a more focused education.
The districts weaknesses should be viewed as prospective strengths. One of the districts
most impending weaknesses is enrollment status. The district has seen a decline in enrollment in
recent years due to the rise in charter and private schools. Just last year alone the District lost
over 200 students to private schools mainly Einstein Academy (Saugus Union School District,
2013). Beyond the promotion of the districts differentiation amongst its schools, Saugus Union
needs to increase the overall amount marketing within the community. Informing the
community about the different schools, their core strengths, and their academic focus can be
accomplished through advertising, mailing lists, emails, social media, etc. For example,
something as simple as having each school create and display a banner that explains the
academic focus of that school would create much needed local awareness. The district needs to
go on the offensive, and counteract the business that private and charter schools are taking from
Saugus by acting more aggressively in their marketing efforts. Another strategy for promoting
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the district and its strengths would be to host more community fundraisers, or by sponsoring
events throughout the community. Here the Saugus District could pass out information, via a
booth run by the PTA/district staff, or simply have banners and fliers posted around a given
event or fundraiser. Taking a more proactive roll in marketing the district to the community will
put the word out there that SUSD is not just an average public school.
SUSD needs to make parents in the community aware that Saugus schools can provide an
equal or better education that private and charter schools. Creating a presence on social media
(i.e. Facebook or Twitter) would be a big help in expanding the breadth of communication and
marketing for SUSD. The district would be able to communicate with broader audience, and
post valuable information about Saugus Union schools. Another benefit to social media is the
cost. Via Facebook, for example, the district could post information that is immediately
accessible to thousands of individuals for no cost; whereas, sending information through the
Postal Service costs hundreds of dollars, and take multiple days to arrive in peoples mailboxes.
The district could also take advantage of other methods of advertising, including: the district and
school websites, the Signal, and Santa Clarita Television. These are all valuable marketing
channels that can be exploited by Saugus in the attempt to expand marketing efforts.
Threats in the external environment consist of charter and private schools stealing market
share, Californias budget crisis, and a daunting new standardized testing all of which are
potential opportunities for SUSD. As discussed earlier, the districts battle with charter and
private schools for market share needs to be met with increased marketing efforts. With regards
to fiscal constraints, Saugus Union School District is dealing with Californias budget crisis by
seeking a local bond worth $130,000,000. Attaining the bond will allow SUSD to upgrade
school facilities, technologies, and grounds all of which are much needed. A boost in
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enrollment will greatly help with the districts fiscal fatigue. As more students enroll in Saugus
Union schools, those schools receive larger budgets allowing the schools to hire more teachers
and staff, which reduce the number of children per class. Increased enrollment would also be
key in maintaining and increasing the amount of school programs and extra curricular activities
offered, reducing or eliminating furlough days, and assisting SUSD in capturing the local market
share they desire.
Lastly, there is the threat of the looming new standardized testing that will soon take
effect. The new statewide standardized testing will no longer give the students multiple-choice
questions, but will require students to think analytically and respond by writing their responses to
questions. This could be seen as a threat, but could also be easily turned into an opportunity for
success. SUSD can benefit from this new testing given that students are: properly prepared,
correct teaching methodologies are used, and students are given ample amount of time to
practice. This should ensure continued high performance once the new form of standardized
testing begins.
Advertisement
The use of advertisements is strongly recommended, and will help the Saugus Union
School District develop and maintain their marketing strategy. It is recommended that the
District should continue advertising efforts in the following categories: Santa Clarita Valley TV
(SCVTV), The Signal, and the district and school websites. The district currently uses these
methods of advertising, but we advise a more proactive approach. Another strongly
recommended advertising opportunity is the use of social media particularly Facebook.
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The Signal and SCVTV

The proper use of the Signal and SCVTV would assist the district in the improvement of
community awareness, its strengths, and differentiation. There is currently minimal use of the
Signal, which is a valuable advertising tool considering thousands of households throughout the
Santa Clarita Valley receive it each week. Saugus can begin to promote its schools to the
community based on their academic focus, creating awareness and sponsoring public school
education. Based on survey results, parents are taking their children out of public school and
into private school for a more focused education, smaller class sizes, and the plethora of after
school and extra curricular programs. Parents need to be informed of the capabilities of SUSD to
provide an equal or better education than private or charter schools, and the Signal is a great
method for doing so. Besides creating awareness, the Signal can be used as a marketing tool to
present school information, school events, and other relevant information.
SCVTV is another advertising tool that can be used to further promote and create
awareness for the Saugus Union School District. The district currently occupies a presence on
SCVTV, displaying school events and shows performed by school children. The continued use
of SCVTV is recommended, with the addition of marketing information. The district should use
SCVTV as an advertising method to promote its school differentiation, programs, activities, and
academic focuses. Presenting Saugus schools as elite public schools within the Santa Clarita
Valley will go distances in competing with charter and private schools, as well as creating
community awareness. Reaching out to the Santa Clarita Valley through as many advertising
channels as possible gives the district the greatest probability of increasing enrollment.
Website
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Each individual school within the Saugus Union School District needs to display and give
explanation regarding their specific academic focus. Saugus Union School Districts most
challenging threats are charter schools and private schools that emphasize a particular academic
focus. For example, Saugus Unions number one competitor, and threat, is Albert Einstein
Academy. Immediately upon entering Albert Einstein Academies website, you are informed that
the school excels at Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Currently only two out of SUSDs sixteen
schools represents their academic focus on their website. The addition of the information will
help SUSD stay competitive against charter and private schools in and outside of the Santa
Clarita Valley. This academic emphasis amongst SUSD schools will also assist the district in the
creation of a portfolio of their schools based on academic focus, crucial for those parents who
want their children to excel in a specific area of education.
Social Media
Saugus Union School District should create and maintain a Facebook page that regularly
updates information about its 16 different elementary schools. There are a variety of reasons to
create a Facebook page that displays information for the various SUSD schools. First, it would
establish a social media presence with the online community. This would benefit parents whose
children currently attend a SUSD school because Facebook can post and share information
relevant to parents needs whether its regarding parent-teacher night, school/student
achievements, new programs, events, etc. Besides benefiting the parents of current students, a
SUSD Facebook page would also bring awareness to those parents whose children do not attend
a SUSD school. This would help inform the community of SUSD, its merits, programs, and
differentiation amongst schools.
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Second, an online social media presence can reach an audience that direct mail or word of
mouth cant penetrate. Often times, physical mail isnt an effective form of communication, and
certain forms of mail are deemed junk mail by the individual homeowner. For example, a
SUSD pamphlet may be looked at in its entirety by one homeowner, and only for one second by
another homeowner before making its way to the trash. Physical mail is also much more costly
than social media. Information can be sent out to tens of thousands of people with one click via
social media, whereas direct mail is time consuming and incurs unnecessary costs.
Parent/Community Loyalty
Based on the qualitative study (see Testimonial), there is a significant amount of pride
and support around a community school. Most responded that the teachers and the staff were
well respected and admired for their diligent work and encouragement for the children. This is a
great marketing opportunity for each school as the parents and former parents can be great
spokespersons for the school. Many SUSD parents are highly involved in school programs, as
well as community programs such as homeowner associations and community boards. These are
the people that should be used as advocates for the schools by taking the word out on the street
to express the importance and prominence of their local schools.
Suggestions may include having the parents and community post event notifications
around the area of school events, not only on the school grounds. This will help the community
be reminded of the importance of the school and may even get some community members
support with local fundraisers. Parents can also assist with taking the local messages of the
school to the various neighborhood meetings. This is especially important at times when
community support is needed such as in the local bond measure. However, this shouldnt be the
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only time notifications are sent out. The neighborhood should always be notified about the
happenings of the schools to keep interest and support alive and well.
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CHAPTER 3: BRANDING
Differentiation
The days of having to attend a school because of geographical area are gone. Parents
have choices of where they would prefer to send their children. This is where branding becomes
important to the SUSD. While creating a strong brand in the education realm, it is important to
differentiate the SUSD from other districts. All schools in SUSD have fully credentialed faculty
and all have a bachelorette degrees with most having a bachelorette degree plus 30 additional
units of education. All schools have before and after school programs that help to enrich the
students learning. Each school within the district has its accolades that make it a unique asset to
the district. The following accolades should be emphasized for each school to help solidify
differentiation among other school districts, particularly within the Santa Clarita Valley.
School Analysis
Bridgeport School
STAR results greater than average in district and much higher than state
Rated at a 10 statewide on the API for the last three years
Named a California Distinguished School
All class sizes average 30 students or less
All teachers are fully credentialed
Two special day classes for students with moderate to severe disabilities
Cedarcreek School
Class sizes average 30 students or less down from previous years
Uses the A.I.M. program to differentiate instruction for individual students
Offers a variety of after-school Intervention and Enrichment programs
Bilingual weekly newsletters sent to parents
Charles Helmers School
STAR scores are about 25% higher than state average and 10% than district
Rated at a 10 statewide on the API for two of the last three years
Emblem Academy School
Awarded Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
Focused on ESTEEM program
Regional Autism Program
Achieved high results on STAR scores in science
James Foster School
Recent opening of Math and Reading labs.
Average class size under 30
Achieved about 25% higher STAR scores than the state average
Achieved API rank of 8 three years in a row
Highlands School
Achieved about 10% higher STAR scores than state average
Accelerated Reader Program
Mountainview School
STAR scores 25-30% higher than state scores
STAR scores 10-15% higher than district scores
API rating of 10 increase from last year
Northpark School
Recognized as a California Distinguished School
STAR scores about 20% higher than state average
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API score of 9 improvement from previous year
Plum Canyon School
Most class sizes average under 30
API score of 9, improvement from previous year
Rio Vista School
Title I Academic Achievement Award
Most class sizes under 30
Rosedell School
Numerous awards for student essay, speech, art and academic submissions
Awarded excellence in arts
Most class average size under 30
STAR scores 10-20% higher than state average
API score of 8 three years in a row
Accelerated Reader Program
Santa Clarita School
Focused on Science and studies natural environment surrounding school
Class sizes average 25 or under
API score of 8 improvement from previous year
Skyblue Mesa School
Most class sizes average 30 or under
STAR test scores higher than state average
Tesoro del Valle School
Exemplary overall facility rating
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STAR scores 30% higher than state average and 5-10% higher than district
API score of 9
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West Creek Academy
Newest school in district
Exemplary overall facility rating
STAR scores 30% higher than state average and 10% higher than district
API of 10 since opening
ALPS Program
Differentiated Instruction
K-3 Music programs
T.E.A.M. Program
Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Program
Engineering is Elementary Program
Independent Home Study Program
Professional guidance
Flexible scheduling
Grade level assignments
Personal focus
Parental input
Extracurricular activities
Credibility
The California Distinguished Award is given to about 5% of schools in California and the
award is good for 4 years, SUSD had 9 schools with this distinguished award. SUSD had two
National Title 1 winning schools. SUSD teachers all have a teaching credential and 71% have a
Masters degree or higher. SUSD needs to inform people of such accomplishment and be proud
of the hard work that went into getting this distinguish awards.
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After School Programs

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released last year, more than 25 million
Americans 20.5 percent of the total workforce reported they worked at least 49 hours a
week in 1999. Eleven million of those said they worked more than 59 hours a week (Schabner,
2013). According to Dean Schabner Americans are overstressed and overworked and there is an
increase demand for day care programs and after school programs as parent work more
(Schabner, 2013).
The family dynamic has changed significantly over the last few decades. Before and
after child care has become increasingly important, as caregivers have returned to work. SUSD
has a quality before and after school Child Development Program. The program is well staffed
with professional personal; they help the children with their school work, and have organized
activities for the children. SUSD needs to promote more the Child Development Program to help
assure parents that their children are in good hands while the parents are at work.
A suggestion is to make it easier to find the information on the website. Provide the
picture of the staff on the website to market an image of a family friendly environment. To
avoid price listing confusion, provide annual and daily costs on the website (i.e., alternative
scheduling needs).
Testimonials
Type words here to convey information related to this subsection.
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GO TO SUSD SCHOOLS STUDY GROUP #1:

Schools
What is being done right
What could be improved
HI
Teachers 7
Yard aides
MV 3
Administration 2
Cleanliness
CC
Individual help
Keep consistent staff
NP 2
Work on min requirements
Additional educational
TV
Safe
opportunities
RO
PTA - 2
Reduce class size
PC - 2
Safety
More exercise
Rid of older staff
More specialized schools
More help for special needs
LEFT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL - STUDY GROUP #2:

Schools
Expectations
Expectations Met?
Legacy 2
Character Traits, no overcrowding,
Yes
uniforms, additional educational courses

Einstein
more educational time, no overcrowding
No
smaller class size, more emphasis on

science & math
SCVi
Yes
Project based learning, individual attention,

no bullying
Yes
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GRADUATED - STUDY GROUP #3

Schools
Experience
What could have been done

better?
SC
Good teachers 3
IEP 2
TV 3
Good experiences
Smaller class size
MV
Good responsiveness by
Rid of older teachers, need
RO
Principal
new teaching styles
FO
OK
Maintenance of buildings
BP
Middle of road kids get
SK
ignored
RV
Figure 2: Qualitative Study of Testimonials
Recommendations
In an effort to improve branding, it is recommended that the District establish a task force
comprised of various members of the community including business owners, members of
community organizations, staff within the district, and parents in the community to assist in
rebranding the SUSD. This task force can be utilized in recommending what the community
wants and needs are as well as what steps should be taken to make these wants and needs
materialize.
Furthermore, the District website, logo, and the individual schools website, should be
updated to highlight the positive attributes in the district as a whole and each of the schools.
There is little to no uniformity between schools. It is recommended that increased uniformity
and consistency between each individual schools website across the District. A newsletter
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focusing on success stories of the district and each school should be updated on a weekly basis.
Each school should use a similar structure.
The community needs to be made aware of the accolades of the schools in the SUSD. In
addition to the website upgrades, district promotion can be achieved in several ways. Eyecatching ads could be placed in local papers, on billboards, at bus stops, and on social media.
Schools should also become the focal point of the community by hosting community events that
involve the community as a whole and not just those that have children attending the schools.
These strategies will create opportunities to reach supporters beyond that of the parents in the
community and could go a long way to help secure funds from the bond measure.
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CHAPTER 4: BOND PROPOSAL ISSUES

Promotional Material
Currently the Saugus Union School District has utilized three outlets for promoting its
potential bond initiative: a direct mail campaign, a power point presentation provided at parent
teacher conferences, and a promo page featured on the districts website. Direct mail is a great
strategy for reaching the target audience. According to the Direct Marketing Associations 2012
Response Rate Report featured on the Rochester Institute of Technologys web portal
(2012), telemarketing and direct mail surpass digital channels in generating the highest
conversion while email demonstrates the highest return on investment. The direct mail campaign
has a very effective visual design, listing key district achievements, a short survey, and a
comment section. The mailer also makes effective use of organization logos and design schemes
from the district website. However, despite the merits of good visual design, the direct mail
campaign has some deficiencies requiring attention.
The mailer was sent out at the end of the calendar year 2013. The mail is especially
cluttered at the end of the fourth quarter. The Districts message was competing with increased
direct solicitation from retailers, increasing the probability of being overlooked and discarded.
Additionally, the copy on the outside of the mailer fails to set the tone of the message that its
trying to convey. The statement 100 Years of Academic Excellence is noble, but lacks the
directness that is required to nab the recipients attention.
The second promotional method, a power point presentation provided at open house
school functions, is functional, but only has limited exposure to stakeholders with children
attending the school district. The presentation could also use some minor tweaks to improve the
quality of the message being conveyed.
28
The final promotional method being used, an information page featured on the Districts
website, shares the same clean visual design as the direct mailer. The page however has some
accessibility issues. The bond initiative page is not directly referenced or linked from the main
page of the website, requiring the audience to click through sub-levels of the website or utilizing
the pages search functions. The latter method requires the user to type the exact phrase
potential bond initiative; typing bond initiative or even bond yields no results. This search
function is not intuitive and less user friendly.
District Support
Support from the school district is vital to bond campaign efforts. All school employees
need to understand the rationale for voting for the bond. Ideally, district personnel should take
part in the development of the actual plan and feel ownership. It is often the case that voters go
to district employees, teachers and support staff, to ask their opinions if they are undecided on
how to vote.
Explanation of the key bond issue elements, the proposed building improvements,
increased safety for the children, etc. shall be provided to each professional and support staff
person. Ideally, many district employees have already had an opportunity to be involved in the
planning phase of the of the bond initiative. On going meetings between the steering committee
and staff may be required to keep the district up to speed on the progress of the initiative leading
up to the election.
For the next three months, information concerning the bond initiative should be
communicated in the district newsletter. Once board approved, advocacy will shift to the
Steering Committee. For example, specific events can be designated to show promotional
materials to parents/guardians and the community. At this time, however, it is essential that
29
teachers and other district representatives be ready to field questions and concerns that the
community may have.
Community Support & Media
According to Shama Gamkhar and Mona Koerner, school construction and
modernization badly lag behind other efforts to improve our nations infrastructure. The average
age of a public school building is 42 years old and school buildings begin rapid deterioration
after 40 years (Gamkhar, S., & Koerner, M., 2002). The support of the community needs to be
the number one goal of the school district. These are the people that will be voting for or against
the bond measure. By providing the community with the information needed to make an
educated decision the district will give them the best chance of having the bond measure
accepted. This information may include the continued achievements of the schools within the
district. As families see that their child is benefiting from the education provided they will
become more invested in the school. Community members are more likely to trust the abilities
of school leaders if they are regularly informed about district successes (Jackson, 2014).
When it comes to a bond measure, voters in the community may be negatively biased
purely focused on the increase to property taxes. What is not commonly understood is that the
improvements to the school in their area will ultimately affect the value of their home.
Community voters also need to realize they don't necessarily need to own a home to pay property
taxes. The general thought is that renters do not pay property taxes; however, when you are a
renter, a portion of your rent is going towards the property tax that the landlord pays on the
property. When a consumer purchases products from the local shops in the community, a
portion of what is charged will help to pay the storeowners property taxes. Bottom line is that
30
community members are paying property taxes either directly or indirectly; this makes it even
more important for the community to understand the issues of the bond measure.
The following are statistics of approval ratings during the months of January through
June 2012. Based on the information below, from the 2012 election periods, voters in the state
of California saw the importance in approving school bonds for improvements in education and
building renovations.

State
Approved Defeated % Approved
California
24
10
70%
Illinois
36%
Michigan
21
19
52%
Missouri
21
84%
Ohio
10
67%
Oregon
83%
Texas
42
11
70%
Washington 9
56%
Wisconsin
68%
Totals:
11
31
159
99
61.6%
(www.ballotpedia.org, 2012)
State
Approved
Defeated
% Approved
California
$1,836,350,000 $464,195,000
80%
Illinois
$18,975,000
$138,420,000
12%
Michigan
$307,450,000
$374,600,000
45%
Missouri
$240,930,000
$115,500,000
68%
Ohio
$395,270,000
$102,900,000
79%
Oregon
$89,560,000
$40,000,000
69%
Texas
$638,045,000
$202,285,000
76%
Washington $487,950,000
$653,200,000
43%
Wisconsin
$192,000,000
$64,300,000
75%
Totals:
$4,119,930,000 $2,155,400,000 65.7%

(www.ballotpedia.org, 2012)
Figure 3: Approval Ratings & Election Period Statistics

Providing this important information to the community in a precise, educated way needs
to also be a focus. There is a multitude of ways to communicate this information to the
community. Its important to use a mix of paid and unpaid media that is appropriate to your
community. Sometimes a low profile approach is more successful than a big-budget approach
(Iowa Association of School Boards).
32
Examples include:
Brochures
Newspaper ads
Radio spots
Campaign buttons
Fact sheets
Yard signs
Store posters
Bumper stickers
Videotape or slide presentation
Web sites
Building tours
Speeches at clubs or business groups
However, in todays fast paced world, social media sites are the most efficient medium of
communication to the community. Districts can reach people who dont visit schools by
publicizing programs and issues through local media and by uploading articles, blogs and videos
on school websites. Today, blogs, social media and hyperlocal news websites can be a powerful
force in driving local opinion. The same social media that has caused revolutions in many
countries is the medium around which todays bond election voters are exchanging information
(Jackson, 2014).
Timeline
The timeline is an extremely important part of the campaign strategy. By drafting a
preliminary time plan and providing it to all campaign participants, everyone should understand
the goal desired. In the beginning of the campaign process, these dates and times to reach out to
the community members (for example) are flexible. As the election draws near, the dates and
times will become more concrete. There are many things to consider when establishing a
campaign schedule. However, the overall consideration should be allowing enough time to
produce initial ideas, make revisions, and receive approvals. With the approval of Prop 39 by
the state of California in the year 2000, the ability to pass a school bond became slightly easier.
Prior to 2001, districts needed two-thirds approval to pass local general obligation bond
33
measures, and more than 40% of local school bond ballot questions failed
(www.ballotpedia.org, 2012). This proposition reduced the percentage approval needed from
67% down to 55% (www.ballotpedia.org, 2012). Schools that have relied on the 55% approval
rating have passed their bond measures 80% of the time (www.ballotpedia.org, 2012).
Three months prior to the vote, the leaders in the community will begin to seek support
from other community leaders and local politicians. At this time each member of the team should
have a description of what the building program is and how it will affect the children.
Explanation of the building program, its purpose, what it will mean to
children, etc. is provided to each professional and support staff person.
Ideally, these groups have already had an opportunity to be involved in the
planning of the building program. Various meetings may be needed to
accomplish this task. For the next three months, information concerning the
building program is carried in the district newsletter. (Kirk & Ward)
Over the next three months, the information regarding the building program should also
be put into the district newsletter, at the same time that the get out the vote committee will start
preparing and organizing. The members of this committee will be in charge of getting
registration tapes, developing the telephone survey and adding the phone numbers into the voter
sheets and recruiting volunteers.
Four weeks prior to the vote, the local newspaper needs to be contacted and they must
grant permission to contact advertisers. Once permission is granted, the advertisers need to be
contacted and asked if a copy of the logo can be sent in and placed in the already existing
advertising copy the week before the vote. The radio spots should be written and taped by now
if they are going to be used. These radio spots will air three to four days prior to the vote and
34
can be helpful when facing tough opposition. Local businesses should be contacted and asked if
they will display signs with the campaigns logo on it.
One week prior to the election, it is important to get all the last minute details covered.
Billboards should be up and posters should be on display in stores throughout the community.
The advertisements in the newspapers will start appearing this week and the radio spots will start
being played. At this time, the undecided voters will get mail signed by the community opinion
leader. The telephone surveys should be finished and the yes vote should be determined in
each precinct.
Recommendations
A study conducted by the Capability Consulting group suggest that the key timing for
direct mail solicitations is August, when the target audience takes vacations and are preparing
their children for the new school year (Amico, 2012). The Saugus Union School District should
focus its next direct solicitation effort around that time frame. August will provide the district
with a key window of opportunity to get the word out to their target audience roughly 90 days
outside of the election schedule. Another recommendation would be to change the copy on the
front of the mailer with a more direct message. Direct messages such as Saugus Union School
District needs your help, or Help us keep our schools the highest performing in Southern
California, will aid in getting the readers attention and reduce the likelihood of the mailer being
discarded with other direct mail solicitations. Additionally, there should be content added that
broadens the appeal of this bond initiative to all the prospective stakeholders, retirees and
individuals that do not have children that attend school in the area. Some correlation between
quality schools and maintaining property values should be provided. A solid example of this
correlation is provided in research conducted by the non-profit organization Great Schools Inc.
35
The research states that in affluent areas like Cupertino, Calif., where virtually all the elementary
schools rake in stratospheric scores on standardized tests, the price of run-of-the-mill ranch
homes can go for several hundred thousand dollars more than those in nearby communities with
mediocre schools. (Lloyd, 1999)
The power point presentation is an effective tool and despite having limited visibility,
should continue to be presented at open house events at schools throughout the district. This
presentation is a key opportunity for reaching involved parents residing within the district. In an
attempt to broaden the appeal of the bond initiative beyond the stakeholders that have children
attending schools in the area; a recommendation would be to place less emphasis on the details
regarding HAZMAT, asbestos, leaky roofs, and rusty plumbing and include the potential aspect
of the connection between higher property values and the quality of schools in the area.
A final recommendation regarding promotional materials would to make the web content
information page for the potential bond more visible and accessible from the Districts main
website. A direct and clearly labeled link needs to be provided preferably in the quick-links
portion of the main page. The web page has a solid design, but needs to broaden the appeal of
the bond initiative.
36
CHAPTER 5: PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Overview Recommendations
The Saugus Union School District is a growing, thriving K-6 education district with great
opportunities, excellent resources, but also faces many challenges. Each of the challenges have
been outlined and detailed in the chapters within this proposal. Through increased advertising,
modified bond promotions, and increased community awareness, the branding of Saugus Union
School District should increase and improve. In order to implement these recommendations,
each action must require a deadline in order to smoothly administer the improvement techniques.
Schedule
Figure 4 is an overview and outline of the suggested recommendations provided
throughout this proposal. For specific details into each activity, please reference the subject
chapter associated with the activity. Each activity is organized in the order in which it was
suggested in the proposed paper.
Activity
Introduce new marketing strategy
Remarket SUSD schools to emphasize specific academic
focuses
Adapt new teaching methodologies to boost test results
Implement new advertisements
Update/improve SUSD website (based on recommendations)
Host fundraisers and include PTA involvement for bond
awareness
Seek support from community & political leaders for bond
Explain building plans to district employees
The "get out the vote" committee begins to organize
Contacting local newspapers and advertisers
Radio spots written and taped
Contact local businesses about displaying signs
Billboards and signs posted
Newspaper ads printed
Telephone calls made to undecided voters
Radio ads begin playing
37
Start Date
28-Apr-14
Duration
10
29-Apr-14
1-May-14
5-May-14
12-May-14
120
90
14
45
1-May-14
4-Aug-14
4-Jul-14
4-Aug-14
4-Oct-14
4-Oct-14
4-Oct-14
28-Oct-14
28-Oct-14
28-Oct-14
1-Nov-14
185
90
30
90
30
30
30
7
7
7
4
Figure 4: Recommended Implementation Schedule
38
Figure 5: Proposed Implementation Schedule

Group Comments
It was our pleasure as the Business Marketing class under Dr. Boyd to present this
proposal to the Saugus Union School District. Each of these recommendations, suggestions, and
improvement measures has been provided through thorough research and analysis. It is our hope
that these recommendations and improvement measures are considered and implemented.
39
References
(2012). Retrieved from www.ballotpedia.org:
http://ballotpedia.org/Approval_rates_of_local_school_bond_and_tax_questions_in_2012
,_January-June
Amico, Anne Marie (2012). Tips for Effective Direct Mail for Non-Profits. Capability Company
website. Retrieved from
http://www.capabilitycompany.com/articles/articletipsforeffectivedirectmailfornonp
rofits.shtm
Gamkhar, S., & Koerner, M. (2002). Capital Financing of Schools: A Comparison of Lease
Purchase Revenue Bonds and General Obligation Bonds. Public Budgeting & Finance,
22(2), 21.
Iowa Association of School Boards. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.ia-sb.org: http://www.iasb.org/SchoolFacilities.aspx?id=548
Jackson, N. M. (2014, January). District Administration Leadership Group. Retrieved from
www.districtadministration.com: http://www.districtadministration.com/article/how-winyour-next-bond-issue
Kirk, P., & Ward, M. E. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.ncpublicschools.org:
http://www.schoolclearinghouse.org/pubs/SuccessfulBondCamp.pdf
Lloyd, Carol (1999). The Real (Estate) Value of Public Schools. Great Schools Inc. website.
Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/moving/2295-real-value-ofpublic-school.gs
NC Department of Public Instruction (2014). Planning Successful Bond Campaigns. PDF from
Schoolclearinghouse.org. Retrieved from http://www.schoolclearinghouse.org/
40
Rochester Institute of Technology (2012). Direct Mail Gets Most Responses; Email Highest
ROI. Print in the Mix web Portal. Retrieved from
http://printinthemix.com/Fastfacts/Show/575
Saugus Union School District. (2014). Board Agenda. Santa Clarita: Saugus Union School
District.
Saugus Union School District. (2013). Preparing Students for Future Success. Retrieved March
03 , 2014, from Saugus Union School District:
http://www.saugususd.org/documents/Board%20%20Admin/District%20Advocacy/TBWB_FactSheet_SUSD.pdf
Schabner, D. (2013, May 01). Americans Work More Than Anyone. Retrieved March 02, 2014,
from ABC News: http://www.abcnews.gov.com/us/story?id=line3364

SUSD Marketing Plan Proposal

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SUSD Marketing Plan Proposal

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UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE

A Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

College of Business and Public Management

March 10, 2014

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Recommendations and Tactics ..................................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER 3: BRANDING ........................................................................................................ 19

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

FIGURE 1: SWOT OVERVIEW FOR SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT ................ 8

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT (PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL)

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 2: IMPROVE MARKET SHARE

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

This paper will develop guidelines on how SUSD can improve

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Quality and subject matter focus

Maintaining and increasing enrollment

Charter and Private schools

Figure 1: SWOT Overview for Saugus Union School District

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Entrepreneurship, and Mathematics. Other worthy examples include Rosedale Elementary

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Recommendations and Tactics

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

The Signal and SCVTV

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Rated at a 10 statewide on the API for the last three years

Named a California Distinguished School

All class sizes average 30 students or less

All teachers are fully credentialed

Class sizes average 30 students or less down from previous years

Uses the A.I.M. program to differentiate instruction for individual students

Offers a variety of after-school Intervention and Enrichment programs

Bilingual weekly newsletters sent to parents

Charles Helmers School

SAUGUS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARKETING PROPOSAL

Emblem Academy School

Awarded Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Named a California Distinguished School

Focused on ESTEEM program

Regional Autism Program

Achieved high results on STAR scores in science

James Foster School

Named a California Distinguished School

Recent opening of Math and Reading labs.

Average class size under 30

Achieved API rank of 8 three years in a row

Awarded Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Named a California Distinguished School

Average class size under 25

Achieved about 10% higher STAR scores than state average

Accelerated Reader Program

Awarded Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Named a California Distinguished School

Average class size under 25

STAR scores 25-30% higher than state scores

STAR scores 10-15% higher than district scores

API rating of 10 increase from last year