Marketing an Established Charter School

Almost by definition, charter schools are all about growth.  The desire to provide a successful, alternative learning environment for your community’s children makes promoting your school and attracting both new supporters and new students are part of your mission.  When you were getting your school established, your message was based largely on vision, but now that you have weathered one, three, five, or more years of operation, it’s time to let your school’s success speak for itself.

Be a Show-Off

One of the hallmarks of a successful charter school is an outstanding culture.  Creating opportunities for outsiders to actually witness that culture is one of the best marketing tools you have.  

Invite community and business leaders to your school open house, spelling bee, arts performances, science fairs, and other events.  Put your students in charge of hosting, leading tours, and giving presentations. Meet with potential donors, partners, and others on school grounds.  If possible, let them peek inside your classrooms and see the students in their learning environment.  If it’s not disruptive, allow visitors to sit in on certain classes and speak with your students and staff.
Create after-hours and weekend opportunities for your students to do group service projects in your community.  Wearing shirts with your school’s logo, students can clean parks, plant flowers, rake leaves, and shovel snow in the neighborhood.

Celebrate Successes

Use every success as an opportunity to gain attention for your school.  Whether it is an excellent rating from the state or the publication of student poetry, send out announcements, post updates on the web, and incorporate descriptions into your marketing materials.

Mark Milestones

Don’t let potential milestones creep up on you.  With some planning, you can create interest and excitement around events such as years of operation, enrolling your 100^th or 500^th student, or graduating your first class of 8^th graders.

Tip: Invite the media to every event, and be sure to take your own photos and video to use in future marketing materials and on your website or school Facebook page. (Don’t forget to have parents sign annual release forms to allow their children to be photographed for such purposes.)