School Boards Discusses Creation Of New Marketing Position
Department Could Expand Later
At its workshop on December 16th, the Clay County School Board proposed creating a district marketing department. Board Member Michele Hanson made an impassioned plea to market Clay County schools as a competitive “business” to stem the loss of students to private institutions, homeschooling, and scholarships.
Drawing on insights from the recent Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) convention, the district highlighted its status as the county’s largest employer, with more than 5,000 staff and 40,000 students.
She painted a stark picture: an annual bleed of approximately 800 students, equating to $30-60 million in lost funding. “We are losing students to the private sector,” Hanson emphasized, urging the board to “stop that bleed” by thinking like a corporation. Please note that Hanson quoted the staffing, enrollment, and funding figures during the meeting, which you can watch below.
Inspired by Sarasota County’s model, Hanson proposed allocating funds for a dedicated marketing director or small team. She recounted a conversation with Sarasota School District’s marketing head, who reported recapturing 400 students in their first year—many of whom had never attended public schools.
The department would start with one person, preferably someone with a master’s degree in marketing. Depending on the success of the marketing campaigns, more positions could be added later.
Per Hanson, regaining just 10 students could cover a single marketing professional’s salary, while 25 might fund a modest division. There was no mention of who would teach these new students, as state funds are intended for educational necessities, such as teachers. Funding for 10 students roughly equals $90,000 per year, and 25 would bring that closer to $250,000.
This role would collaborate closely with Superintendent Broskie and district communications staff, leveraging data to craft targeted campaigns.
Key selling points for Clay’s public schools include robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs like banking and nursing, after-school activities, sports, transportation services, Exceptional Student Education (ESE) support, and unique offerings such as Montessori, Cambridge, and concept schools.
Board members echoed Hanson’s enthusiasm but added nuance. Erin Skipper noted feedback from business owners questioning the visibility of school services and programs. “We need to advertise our school choice options,” Skipper said. Skipper also stated that she would not favor hiring more than one person for the department initially.
Ashley Gilhousen noted that CTE students are a small portion of the overall population in Clay schools, and the general kindergarten through 8th-grade schools were also worthy of advertising.
Hanson claims there is a gap in public awareness, alleging that many residents, even those without children in the system, are unaware of programs such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual enrollment that allow students to earn college credits before graduation.
Hanson stressed that marketing isn’t about replacing existing efforts but enhancing them with expertise. “School boards are not marketing machines,” she said, advocating for professionals tied to educational networks like the School Public Relations Association (SPRA). The school district currently spends roughly $60,000 per year on a lobbyist to fish for funds from Tallahassee.
This conversation comes on the heels of the school board telling teachers there were no additional funds for salaries, as all the district's funds were currently accounted for and obligated for spending elsewhere. It was not clear from the discussion where the new funds for a marketing position would initially come from.
