Abstract
Problem and purpose. Professional expertise is needed in understanding marketing strategies and maintaining a client-oriented focus. Public school leaders need to know and understand their competitors as well as market strategies in a changing environment. This study identifies the degree to which small school districts utilize marketing strategies to promote enrollment and district programs. Methodology. A survey was conducted by questionnaire of one hundred and forty-seven (147) superintendents in twenty counties in Central and Northern California. One hundred and twenty-four participants responded on a Likert scale to sixty questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, and Analysis of Variance. Findings and conclusions. This study found marketing strategies being implemented to only a limited degree in the sample school districts. While most districts make attempts to improve reputation, few have implemented new educational or teacher choice options in response to customer wants and needs. Larger and, to a lessor degree, growing districts are more inclined to implement promotional activities than the small. and often declining districts. Promotion comes in the form of written information such as brochures or fliers, web sites, press releases, and newsletters. Very little formal advertising is conducted. Marketing research is conducted to the greatest degree through written parent satisfaction surveys. The greatest impacts on enrollment are the economic conditions in the district as opposed to little impact by the establishment of charters, magnets, private schools or home schooling. The greatest barrier to marketing is a lack of staff or time to implement, however, few superintendents felt marketing is unprofessional or inappropriate. Most districts consider hiring customer-oriented employees, yet few consider rewarding them for these actions. A little over half of the districts provide their employees with some training in customer support and marketing orientation. Small districts need to consider joining with other small school districts and appropriate community groups in coordinating marketing strategies. Building strong employee or internal customer oriented practices, as suggested by the literature, will undoubtedly stimulate performance and employee commitment. A focus on developing long-term relationships, both internally and externally, on mutually beneficial objectives will prepare our small public schools to respond to the rising demand for free-market, competition driven reform.