CLARKSVILLE — An advertising campaign to drive students to Clarksville Community Schools cost more than $163,000, but the 83 students it’s credited with bringing in gave the district an extra $548,000 in tuition support from the state for the district.
At the district’s board of trustees meeting on Tuesday, Sabrina Sebastian, director of digital strategy at Bandy Carroll Hellige, showed the district’s return on the investment from last year. She said the mailers, social media advertisements, billboards and other media worked in the district’s favor.
She also noted coverage from the News and Tribune where Lee Ann Wiseheart, board member for the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp., said she wanted to carry out an advertising campaign outside of their own district to “go get their kids.”
Bill Wilson, board president, said he was glad to see others are looking to emulate Clarksville.
“We have been successful, that’s obvious, and yes, others have taken notice of that,” Wilson said. “I do believe that it’s going to get much more competitive because of what we and you guys have done collectively. I’m so proud of this board and corporation’s leadership in taking that in advance because we have the edge.”
Doug Wacker, board member, said after years of declining enrollment, he’s glad to see an upswing that nearly makes up for what they’ve lost since he’s been on the board.
“This is my fifth year on the board and this is the first time in five years we’ve had [average daily membership] go up,” Wacker said. “It’s gone down slightly 15, 20 students every year since I’ve been on the board and to go up 83 and almost catch all that up in one year is quite amazing.”