Case Study
Newsletter Balanced Budget Report with Student Accolades
Clients: Education
Services: Editorial Services
Proving the Value of the District’s Programs
THE SITUATION
Ramsey School District regularly communicates to parents, and also goes the extra mile to put information in the hands of community members who do not have students. It prints and mails its News & Views newsletter three times a year to all households in the K-12 district and those of a neighboring K-5 district whose students attend Ramsey’s middle school. The spring 2022 issue served as a budget report that included of a slight tax increase driven by staff costs and federal mandates … Not everyone would see this as welcome news!
THE STRATEGY
Our strategy to counteract this was to use a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. The budget took the front-page position, but the three-page inside spread featured a big, bold photo of the award-winning a cappella group. It was surrounded by smaller photos showing faces and copy blocks extolling accomplishments.
The banner across the top of this spread connected all those elements as factors in The Ramsey Experience, which goes beyond academic test scores to encompass a wider development of skills. Another page was dedicated to the facility additions/renovations that are funded through the town’s tax base.
THE WIN
We balanced the mundane budget report with salutes to the students who are the district’s heart and soul as a reminder that investments pay off. The strategy and execution won first place in the Special Publications category of the NJ School Public Relations 2022 Communications Contest.
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