According to superintendent Don Brann, the 1960s was a golden era for southern California’s Wiseburn School District. “They had 3000 students, six schools, and a wealth of programs.” But in 1993, when Brann arrived, enrollment had declined to 1000, three schools were closed, and the district was providing only the most basic services. He set about to change that.

Assessing the district’s strengths, he saw an opportunity to recruit families—from outside the district—who put a high value on education. “We offered small schools, small classes, and a way for parents to connect,” he says. “That’s what many parents want.” Brann points out. “You want to keep enrollment stable and growing.”

Fifteen years later, Wiseburn now enrolls more than 1000 students on interdistrict attendance permits in addition to the 1200 who live within the district. With state funding at approximately $6000 annually per pupil, the permit students add more than $6 million a year to the district budget. “We use those funds to enhance our programs,” says Brann.

Recruiting commuter families in car-conscious Los Angeles

The district’s first enrollment boost came from parents who worked in the local aerospace, entertainment, and technology industries. “People commuted from all over southern California to their good jobs in our area,” says Brann. “I approached these local companies with a two-part message: We have the small schools your employees want and, if they drive in with their children, they can use the carpool lanes.” To support his message, Brann provided the companies’ HR directors with “propaganda packets” listing the schools’ test scores and program information. He spoke to employee groups, met individually with parents, and conducted tours of the district’s schools.

The strategy worked and Wiseburn’s enrollment grew at the rate of 50 to 100 students each year. With the annual per-pupil income from the state, its budget grew also. “There are expenses involved in teaching these kids, but there was profit left,” says Brann. “I added afterschool childcare, started building in the arts and PE, lowered class size, and improved the physical plant. Once I met those first families’ needs, parents started telling others and the line grew longer. If you meet people’s needs, they’ll come.”

Providing local alternatives to private schools

With changing enrollment patterns in the surrounding area, Brann shifted his marketing focus. “As some of our neighboring districts showed signs of strain, more of their parents were choosing private schools or setting up charter schools,” he says. “These people didn’t know about Wiseburn, so I started talking about our district at pre-school meetings—places where parents were making education decisions. Unlike private schools, our schools are free. And unlike most charter schools, we have a long record of success.” Parents of preschoolers are thinking about logistics, the curriculum, the curriculum, and safety, he says. “I give them the same propaganda packet I use with the local companies, and I invite them to take a tour.”

Evidently the new marketing approach is working as well as the original one. At the beginning of the 2008–09 school year, with declining enrollment all around it, the Wiseburn School District added 80 new students. “People have choices,” says Brann. “Increasing enrollment is all about customer satisfaction and meeting people’s needs.”