Española School Board members had mixed reactions to the presentation that 2 Smooth Advertising owner and Rio Arriba County Commissioner Barney Trujillo gave during the Sept. 3 Board meeting. One Board member in particular had many questions and a few concerns.
Trujillo provided Board members with a PowerPoint presentation describing the major themes of his company’s advertising campaign to increase and retain students for the District. He also outlined initiatives for the first event he and his staff planned — having sixth grade students participate in homecoming and the rebranding efforts he and his staff came up with.
This was the first time Trujillo went before Board members to provide them with an update plan. He was awarded a $50,000 contract to produce a marketing plan for the school. Board members unanimously voted to award him a contract during the Aug. 20 Board meeting without a request for proposal.
“We are also asking for participation from the sixth grade classrooms of these individual elementary schools, one male and a female to run out to the entrance of the football field and welcome the football team onto the field,” Trujillo said. “There has also been talk of having a chain link with each school at the halftime show, and we would like to set it up where some of these students can come in and participate. Their families will have assigned seating at the football game to really pump up the fact that it’s Española homecoming.”
Trujillo deferred to Española School Superintendent Danny Trujillo to discuss other proposals such as the “schools on the rise” campaign.
“There have already been celebrations at each of the different schools that have improved from the previous year, but I also think we, as a District are ‘on the rise’ also,” Danny Trujillo said.
Each year, the New Mexico Department of Education gives grades to all the charter schools and public schools in the state. That grade is a measure of the job each school is doing in terms of educating the students under their care. Española had a number of schools whose grades improved from the 2012-2013 academic year to the 2013-2014 year.
Almost immediately, Board member Andrew Chavez expressed concerns about many aspects of the presentation.
“Where did you get that information that we are a District on the rise?” Chavez asked. “Where is that information officially?”
Danny Trujillo said the “District on the rise” is not an official campaign, but rather a phrase from conversations he had with staff and faculty from the District.
“There is nothing official with that comment,” Chavez said. “I would like to see something official about this. Danny, the marketing campaign is great but you know how I feel how about this.”
Barney Trujillo weighed in and told Chavez the District was on the rise because of the infrastructure projects Board members initiated, projects such as the new floor at the Española Valley High School gymnasium and the renovation of Fairview Elementary. Chavez did not appear to be impressed.
“The whole key about the marketing campaign and my concept about marketing is how are we going to market this District, not only at the middle school, not only at the high school, but how are we going to market what we do to the community?” Chavez asked.
Both Danny Trujillo and Barney Trujillo said they are working on the plan right now. Barney Trujillo said a successful marketing campaign requires his staff to get the opinion of people who are already part of the District, such as students and faculty, first. Once they have done that, they can create strategies to retain those students. Afterward, they can come up with strategies to attract students from outside the area.
“It is not up to us to come up with a marketing plan,” Chavez said. “I expected a marketing plan to already be in place before the contract was signed.”
Danny Trujillo and Barney Trujillo said it is still a work in progress. They are bringing in stakeholders such as students, teachers, principals, city councilors and others to get their input regarding the campaign. After they receive feedback from others, they will begin formulating a comprehensive plan to address the District’s needs.
There was no timetable set, but both Trujillos agreed to give the Board continuous progress reports.
Other Board members made their own suggestions about what the District’s marketing plan should be.
“We need to continue working on our website,” Board Vice President Ralph Medina said. “I have seen our website improve, but there is still room for improvement. We need to use the radio station and advertise with them.”
Danny Trujillo said this was simply a discussion item. There was no need for consent or a decision, he wanted to provide the Board with an update on the situation. It would also be an opportunity for Board members to provide feedback for the campaign.
I am watching this very closely,” Chavez said.