Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191

Marketing Plan
 Effective marketing programs that support a strong brand can improve employee retention
and morale, stabilize or increase enrollment, build community support and help the school
district accomplish mission-critical and tangible goals.

- National School Public Relations Association

Plan Goals

• Increase positive perception of our schools and the school district

 Foster brand loyalty and ownership by staff, parents, students and residents
 Maintain and / or increase K-12 enrollment and market share, with a focus on resident students

History

ISD 191 is located in a third-ring Twin Cities suburban area, just south of the Minnesota River on both sides of
I-35W. It was one of the first areas to be developed south of the river, so much of the district tends to be a bit
older than other south metro school districts. The district covers parts of five communities (geographic area):
Burnsville (60%), Savage (50%), Eagan (10%), Shakopee (small), Apple Valley (small). The breakdown of where
students come from is slightly different because of the density and population of Burnsville, the district’s main
city: Burnsville (68%), Savage (24%), Eagan (8%), Shakopee (< 1%), Apple Valley (< 1%).

In its heyday in the 1970s-early 1990s, ISD 191 had growing enrollment and a number of state sports
championships. As neighboring districts grew and offered newer schools and homes, ISD 191 began to lose
enrollment and has experienced an aging population. ISD 191 is fully developed with no buildable lots - in
contrast to many neighboring districts that have lots of room to grow. Bordering districts are: Bloomington,
Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Prior Lake-Savage, Lakeville, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan (ISD 196), West St Paul-
Mendota Heights-Eagan (ISD 197).

Some of the district’s claims to fame: first girls hockey team, one of the first districts to offer early childhood
and school-age care, chess residency for all fourth graders, 50-year tradition of all-school chess tournament at
Metcalf Junior High which has resulted in 28 state chess titles, and Burnsville High School is #1 for participation
and credits earned through the College in the Schools program of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Recent enrollment trends

 In the past decade, K-12 enrollment has declined 12% (10,499 to 9,265) and the district’s capture rate
(market share of resident students attending ISD 191) has declined from 83% to 76%.
 ISD 191 currently has a net loss of approximately 1,000 students to open enrollment, which is the largest
drain on enrollment. This loss has been increasing steadily for the past decade.
 Most students leaving go to ISD 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan) and Prior Lake-Savage, with some
students going to Lakeville and Bloomington.
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 Most students who enroll into ISD 191 come from ISD 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan), with additional
students coming from Prior Lake-Savage, Lakeville and Shakopee.
 In the past five years, white and Asian enrollments have declined, while Black and Hispanic enrollment
have increased; American Indian enrollment has remained small but steady.
 The number of students who enroll in private schools has steadily decreased; charter and homeschool
numbers are relatively small and stable.
 The percent of English Language Learner (ELL) students has steadily increased, with higher concentrations
at younger ages.

Demographics and Major Programs

 9,265 students enrolled, K-12

• 50% white students, 50% students of color
o 24% Black
o 16% Hispanic
o 10% Asian
o 1% American Indian
 48% free/reduced lunch
 12% Special Education
 16% English Language Learners
o 5% Spanish, 4% Somali, 7% other
 15 schools
o 10 elementary schools (K-6)*
o 3 junior highs (gr. 7-9)*
o 1 high school – Burnsville High School (gr. 10-12)*
o 1 alternative high school (grade 10+)
* Grade configurations will change to K-5, 6-8, 9-12 in fall 2016
 Early childhood programs at Diamondhead Education Center with some offered in schools
 1,400 staff (approx half are teachers)
 Community Education: A full range of programming for infants through senior citizens
• Magnet Schools:
o Gifted and talented: Harriet Bishop Elementary; Eagle Ridge Jr HS
o STEM: William Byrne Elementary; Metcalf Junior HS
o Arts and Technology: Rahn Elementary
• AVID college readiness at all three junior high schools, BHS and Burnsville Alternative HS
• Project Lead the Way (engineering program) at all three junior high schools and BHS
• Burnsville Area Learning Center (a collection of programs that provide additional support to meet the
needs of all learners, K-12)

Vision One91

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Joe Gothard became superintendent in fall 2013 and has been active and visible in the community ever since,
with positive reviews all around. After spending a year meeting with and listening to staff, parents and
community members, Joe unveiled a plan for Vision One91 with the following goals:
 Organize schools to best support learning and ensure each student graduates real-world ready – partly
by changing from the district’s increasingly uncommon grade configuration of K-6, 7-9 and 10-12 to K-5,
6-8 and 9-12
 Improve security for a safer learning environment
 Increase technology to enhance classroom teaching and learning

Thanks to a successful referendum in February 2015 when voters approved two questions to fund school
changes and technology improvements, Vision One91 is in process with most changes occurring fall 2016. The
most visible changes will occur at the high school and will include state-of-the art classrooms/labs, additional
space to add 9th graders, opportunities for students to enroll in Signature Pathways that focus on specific
college/career areas (ex: Automotive Tech, Business, Health Sciences) and a new Activities Center. Other
improvements include: increased focus on early childhood programming, a consolidated district office and
improved Welcome Center, a shift to a true middle school experience for grades 6-8 with expanded options by
moving to an 8-period day, security improvements districtwide, and increased access to technology for
teaching and learning.

Parent Perceptions

In fall 2015, an online survey was sent to all 6,450 ISD 191 parents. There was a 9% response rate
(581 responses), which results in a +/- 4% margin of error. Most survey respondents were female (73 percent),
White (81 percent) and with a bachelor’s degree or higher (63 percent). In January 2016, surveys will also be
sent to ELL parents (in Spanish and Somali), staff and grades 5-11 students. These results will not be available
until February-March 2016.

Parent survey highlights:

 Most parent respondents have at least considered enrolling their child in a different school district but
few are very likely to do so. Top three choices are Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, Rosemount-Apple
Valley-Eagan and Lakeville.

 Parent respondents recognize diversity as one of the district’s defining characteristics; however,
respondents disagree about whether the district’s diversity is strength or a weakness with mixed results on
various questions relating to diversity. However, Most parents (62 percent) agree that a diverse student
body promotes learning, while 20 percent disagree.

 Parents believe that high quality teachers and staff members are District 191’s greatest asset.
Furthermore, parents highlight teachers and staff as the most positive influence on their impressions of
District 191 compared to other sources of information such as the district’s e-newsletter and family. Other
potential strengths include numerous learning opportunities, diversity and a strong sense of tradition and
community.

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 Parents perceive the district’s weaknesses to include large class sizes, inadequate facilities and
technology, overall reputation and lack of academic rigor. Conversely, most parents believe that teacher
quality, transportation, extracurricular offerings and campus safety do not need improvement.

 Parents agree that their family feels welcome at school activities, their child enjoys going to school, and
their child can participate in activities that interest them.

 Parents typically obtain information about the school district from online sources, including the District
website, e-newsletter, and emails. Further, nearly 30 percent of respondents that were exposed to these
sources indicate the information improved their impression of the District. The sources of information that
are most likely to negatively influence parents’ impressions of the district include family and friends.

 The majority of parents are aware of and support District 191’s grade-level reconfiguration plan to create
middle schools and a comprehensive high school.

 About three quarters of parents rate the overall quality of education at District 191 as “Good” (19%) or
“Excellent” (54%). Respondents rate District 191 less favorably than Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan District
196, Lakeville District 194, and Prior Lake-Savage District 719, but more favorably than Bloomington District
271 and Shakopee District 270.

Evaluation
The plan’s strategies and tactics are designed to help achieve the goals of increasing positive perception and
fostering brand loyalty, with a hopeful impact on K-12 enrollment and market share. Part of the plan’s success
relies on the synergy of the various strategies – recognizing that some prioritization will need to occur, as
everything cannot be done at once.

It is important to remember that perceptions and enrollment patterns are slow to change, with the majority of
enrollment opportunities occurring only once a year. Therefore, the district will need to maintain a long-term
commitment to its marketing efforts, monitoring effectiveness over time and making changes as appropriate.

The following types of data will be used to monitor progress and drive decisions:

 Positive perception and brand loyalty

o Surveys measuring aspects of support and pride
o Consistent use of brand visuals
o Tone and type of articles in community papers
o Increased attendance at landmark events (such as high school opening, sporting events,
plays, etc) by students/families of all ages
o Increased positive engagement on social media
o Increased use of web resources for choosing ISD 191
o Anecdotal evidence such as realtor recommendations, increased sense of pride, visible
examples of school/district pride

 Enrollment and market share

o K-12 enrollment stabilization or increase
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o Market share stabilization or increase
o Increase in preschool retention into Kindergarten
o Decrease in resident enrollment out to any non-district choice
o Shift in ratio of open enrollment out to open enrollment in, reflecting less loss or a net gain
(as measured by families choosing other school districts)

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Marketing Plan Overview

For this plan to be effective, it will require:

 staff who are aware and supportive
 experiences in all schools that are high-quality, authentic and aligned
 a long-term commitment to marketing using the recommended integrated strategies

One of the biggest mistakes the school district could make would be to do an excellent job marketing something that is different from what staff and
families experience in the buildings.

It is important to note that the communications staff has been doing a wonderful job communicating with staff and community members through a
number of communications tools. Many of the recommendations in this plan build on that solid foundation. The benefit of having everything
presented in one marketing plan is that it provides direction, unifies efforts and helps provide a checklist of things to accomplish toward our goals.

• Our priority audiences are resident parents and staff as we focus within district borders to:
– nurture and retain our current parents
– bring in new young parents
– bring back some families who left
– help the entire ISD 191 community feel good about its schools so people want to come and stay

• Seven integrated marketing strategies fall into three areas, with several tactics supporting each strategy:

– Unity
• Develop a consistent, clear and compelling visual brand/identity
• Reinforce current families: One91 Pride
• Embrace diversity by telling our own story: We are One91
– Outreach
• Nurture families with young children
• Focus on the front door: actively recruit school shoppers
• Create a network of ambassadors/influencers: influence the influencers
– Opportunity
• Build excitement about the future: Vision One91

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While a major focus will be on implementation from January 2016 through fall 2016 to take advantage of the realization of Vision One91, marketing
efforts should continue for years to build the brand and sustain momentum. Perceptions and enrollment do not change quickly, so a sustained effort
is critical to create change.

Implementation will require an investment - but it is important to recognize the potential return on that investment. Every student who is either
retained or new equates to a minimum of $6,000 of annual revenue ($78,000 over the course of a 13-year school career). If this plans helps keep or
bring in 10 new students, that’s $60,000 in annual revenue retained or added ($780,000 over 13 years); 20 new students would retain or add
$120,000 per year ($1,560,000 over 13 years).

Strategies and Tactics

1. Develop a consistent, clear and compelling visual brand/identity (Unity)

ISD 191 has a rather muddy image – both visually and in terms of an overall brand identity. While the district logo has been used fairly consistently
on all district materials for the past 15 years, the district is called by many different names, does not have a distinct persona or brand that
permeates both school and district communications and is not perceived consistently across key audiences. Creating one brand that guides all
materials, events and efforts can help energize and unify messages and image.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Develop one name, logo and visual brand/identity used consistently and comprehensively, including: $
 All print and electronic materials
 District and school signage
 Event signage
 School fact sheets (include middle schools and high school)
 Activities T-shirts
 School newsletters
 Consistent brand identity among HS sports teams and community sports associations that use Blaze colors and
logos
b. Develop repeatable, compelling key messages to support new brand $
c. Tie school logos/mascots into the new district brand $
d. Establish a district persona that supports the new brand in a voice that supports social media being “social” $
e. Convene a group of high school students to help build district brand through their social media channels

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2. Build excitement about the future: Vision One91 (Opportunity)
Vision One91 is an opportunity to focus people on a brighter and better future. Use the build-up and resulting changes to generate excitement as
a launchpad for the future while tying it into the brand launch.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Focus internally to get staff excited and on board as key ambassadors: $
 Have Joe present at an all staff meeting with a fun video highlighting the changes in store for staff, explaining the
wonderful opportunity we have because of the community’s generosity and how critical staff are in telling the story
as Vision One91 unfolds – include time for questions
 Nurture staff through the transition, paying special attention to staff most affected by changes to ensure they feel
supported and listened to – meetings at every school and with every affected group
b. Promote “What’s new in One91?” in the first half of 2016 to preview the Vision One91 changes coming to each
building through periodic events that give students, parents, staff and community members a chance to preview
what’s ahead – especially at middle school and high school – not just construction, but the programmatic changes
c. Create an infographic depicting highlights of Vision One91 $
d. Host a community celebration event in the new high school activities center while promoting how it can be used as a $
community resource
e. Host a Technology Night at various locations to showcase how the technology investment will translate into enhanced $
teaching and learning – include hands-on opportunities for parents to experience what their students will experience
f. To promote the Pathways opportunities, create a series of online, print and/or video “I want to be…” stories of younger $
students identifying a career interest and then explaining how Pathway would support this
g. Add a History of 191 section to the website highlighting some of the past successes and setting the stage for this new
era of Vision One91
h. Provide teachers with “What’s new in One91?” fact sheets for March 2016 parent/teacher conferences $
i. Consider a media buy of billboards, newspaper ads and theater ads to promote excitement about fall 2016 Vision $
One91 unveiling
j. Create a special Vision One91 insert or wrapper around the summer or fall Community Education catalog that is mailed $
to all 53,000 residents
k. Hold an all-staff celebration to showcase the Vision One91 changes before the start of 2016-17 school year $
l. Keep the energy alive in 2016-17:
 Continue “Vision One91” updates in 2016-17 of what a difference it’s making at various buildings/grades
 Student-created short videos highlighting the changes and improvements to the educational experience

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3. Reinforce current families: Build One91 Pride (Unity)
Our current families are one of our greatest assets. Reinforcing their choice to stay in ISD 191 and making it easy for them to share good news
with others will help with both retention and marketing.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Develop bi-weekly “Did you know? We are One91” school and district points of pride to share in all school newsletters
and district communications channels to staff/parents/community members
b. Create bumper stickers, lawn signs and window clings: “Proud One91 family” and “Proud graduate of Burnsville High $
School #One91”
c. Provide every new family with a simple “Welcome to One91” brochure highlighting great things for them to know $
about the district preK-12 and where to go if they have questions
d. Provide “Welcome to One91” orientation sessions prior to start of each school year for all new parents – at all grade $
levels - to help them settle more easily into the school system and share key information about district
e. Create short “Why I chose One91” video testimonials for use on school monitors, social media and on local cable
channels
f. Use the referendum model of booths at school events – but have booths with information about marketing and $
promoting One91 (messages, plans, opportunities) as well as One91 window clings and ways to “show” pride
g. Present marketing plans, messages and opportunities at PTO meetings – ask them to serve as ambassadors
h. Encourage teachers to share classroom, school and/or district points of pride in their communications with families
i. Focus on key transition points: Have special parent-child information sessions and tours of the middle school at grades
4 and 5 and the high school at grades 7 and 8 focused on academic and extracurricular options and the excitement of
the next step in ISD 191. Ensure staff at all elementary and middle schools are aware of and can help promote the next
level (middle school or high school) as trusted sources of information to their parents.
j. Provide “We are One91 Class of 20XX T-shirts” for incoming kindergartners $
k. Ask graduating seniors what they are most proud of about Burnsville High School or their ISD191 experience – use
these at graduation and in future messaging
l. Provide continuous program pathways for parents. Be sure that any program that starts at any grade can continue
through high school (examples: dual language at preschool but nothing at elementary; STEM at elementary and
nothing at middle school)

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4. Nurture families with young children (Outreach)
If we get them young and keep them connected we are likely to have them for years.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Develop relationships with area child care centers: $
 Create a mailing list of all area preschools, child cares and mom’s groups in the community. Send a letter from
superintendent and the elementary principals inviting them to bring their families to visit schools anytime – and
offer to have a kindergarten teacher come speak to their parents about preparing for kindergarten.
 Schedule principal and Kindergarten teacher visits to area child cares to talk with parents about preparing for
kindergarten
 Offer special group tours for area child care families to visit elementary schools
 Send a quarterly newsletter to area child cares/mom’s groups with parent tips and school events
 Host a special event for child cares at Diamondhead when completed to build partnerships
b. Aggressively work to update birth-5 census (utilizing birth data from area hospitals; birth records from county; electric $
hook-ups; sign-ins at all events), including emails for future contact.
 Use database to send annual mailings (examples: One91 Pride packet to the new parents; birthday cards offering a
discounted ECFE class; calendar of upcoming school carnivals/event; a One91 window cling; yearly parenting tips;
One91 or Class of 20XX onesie)
c. When the construction at Diamondhead is completed, host a big party focused on young families with a carnival $
atmosphere and information about Vision One91 preK-12
d. Offer to hold a Welcome to One91 session for parents at places of worship around the district
e. Send a “We can’t wait to meet you!” letter from each principal to the 4 and 5 year olds in their attendance area (using $
census records)
f. Have “play dates” and summer playground dates at neighborhood elementary schools for birth-5 year olds in their $
attendance area to help parents get to know schools and other parents
g. Set goal of X% of prospective kindergartners to attend open houses and aggressively work – via multiple open houses $
and promotion – to achieve it
h. Partner with library to create a bookmark to give out during story time for young kids – full of facts/tips for young kids, $
sponsored by One91
i. Invite young families to school events at reduced cost (plays at HS, carnivals, concerts, sports) $
j. In district early childhood classes, promote special “visit your school” field trip opportunities for preschoolers to visit a
kindergarten classroom, have story time and do a craft
k. Explore targeted online advertising and Facebook ads for young parents who are Googling preschools/elementary $
schools or who fit the demographic of potential ISD 191 parents

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5. Focus on the front door (Outreach)
First impressions make a big difference and can be difficult to change. Focusing on how we welcome people and actively recruiting school shoppers –
at all key stages – can help ensure we put our best face forward.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Train principals and front line staff on the critical role they play in marketing the district – to both new and existing
families – and be sure they are able to offer tours when requested
b. Keep a database of all families who inquire about the district (either through the Welcome Center or individual $
schools) and follow-up with a call or letter 1-2 weeks after initial information was provided
c. Offer a series of “Welcome to One91” school tours at common times in February/March and promote widely (ex: all $
schools have an open tour at 10am and 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
d. Recognize how much “shopping” is done online and re-position district and school websites accordingly
 “Choose One91” button on home page with easy-access resources for school shoppers, including school fact sheets
and Welcome Center information
 Some type of intro /welcome message on all home pages in a prominent spot
 Ensure mobile-friendly site is geared to both current and prospective parents
 Add success stories and positive data points and growth data to test score pages (Data and Assessment), including
a message that explains how tests are used but that “Life is not a test score”
e. Offer a special presentation and tour to private and charter schools that end at 8th grade (ex: St John’s and Aspen
Academy)
f. Create an at-a-glance chart of key things every school has at each level (elementary, MS, HS), including a grid that also
lists special things offered at individual schools
g. Have each school invite their immediate community in for a special community open house/celebration $
h. Do an exit survey of any family who leaves the district to learn more about their experiences and why they left. If the
family remains as a resident, follow-up with a call or letter six months after they leave to see how their new school
choice is working and ask if there is anything we can do for them.
i. Annually send families who enroll in private schools or open enroll out an invitation to visit the schools and an update $
on great things happening in ISD 191
j. Have principals and teachers call all potential incoming students (or send a card) in May “looking forward to next $
year!”
k. Ask current parents to make follow-up calls to any parents who visits or inquires about their school
l. Put door hangers around the community at a time that will work both for promoting school enrollment and community $
education registration so every household will be invited to connect in some way with ISD 191
m. Create a simple district overview brochure that can be easily mailed or handed out in response to inquiries $

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6. Create a network of ambassadors/influencers (Outreach)
People often rely on those they know and trust to help inform their opinions. By providing shareable information and positive word of mouth we
can try to influence the influencers.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Enhance realtor outreach by building a local realtor database $
 Send a monthly short e-newsletter with quick news about student/school/district accomplishments targeted to
their interests
 Offer annual district info session/tour planned in collaboration with local realtors to meet their needs/credits
 Host special information breakfasts
 Send invitations to special school events
 Request opportunity for Superintendent to visit their weekly realtor meetings to share Vision One91 news
b. Host a special event for the Key Communicator Network to showcase the Vision One91 changes; keep them apprised $
with regular points of pride emails and key messages about common district myths
c. Train a PR Ambassador team of staff and parents at each school to share successes with their community $
d. Make the most of search engine optimization (SEO) to drive traffic to our site rather than other school choice/rating
sites
e. Reconvene the Marketing Advisory Committee periodically to share what has been done, what is coming and to solicit
ongoing feedback and ideas
f. Include points of pride and invitations to events in Alumni e-newsletter and alumni online networks
g. Identify key student communicators/influencers – student council, captains, BurnsvilleStrong – and ask for their help
promoting the brand and generating excitement about Burnsville High School
h. Expand superintendent presentations at key business and community functions such as the Chamber and city councils
i. Create an infographic of key data points for realtors and other influencers to use/share, including points that debunk or $
redirect some of the test score concerns
j. Develop social media content that ambassadors and influencers can easily share
k. Partner with Community Education marketing staff to discuss options for joint marketing via community education
mailings/events - incorporate timely district stories, highlight a school, invite the community to district/school events
l. Mail oversized postcards to all residents each quarter in between district newsletter issues with points of pride and $
upcoming events they can attend
m. Promote a special senior citizens pass for free or discounted entry to events $
n. Provide each city with key information about One91, invite leaders in for special tours and explore ways to cross-
promote the city and school district with their communications staff
o. Share district brand and messaging with the Alumni Association and explore ways they can help serve as key
ambassadors

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7. Embrace diversity by telling our own story: We are One91 (Unity)
Showing who we are – staff and students – through compelling individual stories demystifies diversity and provides stories that others can share.
Tactics Timing/Who? Cost?
a. Create a “We are One91” campaign: snapshots and stories told through video clips, posters and articles that highlight $
individual success stories of a wide range of students, staff and successful alumni
b. Hang “Welcome to One91” signs in multiple languages in every district school and building $
c. Develop a social media photo campaign inviting teachers, students and parents to take a photo/video of them holding
a sign that says “I am One91” or “We are One91” – work with student leaders to help spread the campaign
d. Offer and highlight language learning opportunities, cultural experiences and even study abroad options to showcase
the assets within the ISD 191 community – and how that prepares students for the world they will live in after
graduation

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