Enrollment Geographic Expectation (E.G.E.: A school or district’s expectation that families in its geographic area will naturally attend their schools)
Most public schools and districts feel they don’t need to market themselves because they have a “built-in” customer base. This is a dangerous position to take. Today, educational opportunities are global, not local. Parents have already demonstrated this by opting for private, virtual, or homeschooling even though the public school is a mile from home. Location is NO LONGER the deciding factor when education is at stake. This geo-convenient thinking is risky for district and school leaders and does not reflect today’s education environment. Yes, there will always be families who attend your school because it’s the traditional “school district map” model (we call this E.G.E.™), but more and more families are realizing they now have other- and in some cases- better options.
Your role as a district or school leader is to acknowledge this new reality and change the way you run your business (yes, your BUSINESS).
Competition in education is real, and it’s growing. It’s time to “level up” to your competitors and promote your school to families in a more creative and engaging way.
