Written by Kate Pechacek
When districts talk about enrollment, the conversation often turns quickly to numbers: projections, cohorts, competition, and funding formulas. But enrollment doesn’t begin on a spreadsheet, and it doesn’t start at registration.
Enrollment is the outcome of trust.
As outlined in the Stop the Drop companion guide, districts that stabilize or grow enrollment don’t rely on campaigns alone. They focus on something more foundational: the everyday experiences families have with schools, and the story those experiences create over time.
The most trusted story about your district is not the one you publish.
It’s the one families tell each other that was created across a full school community.
Explore three steps to “Stop the Drop” – Watch the webinar recording
Step 1: Establish a shared story, together
One of the most powerful questions a district can ask is also one of the simplest:
If families could say one true sentence about our district by the end of the year, what would it be?
This isn’t a branding exercise. It’s not a slogan. It’s an invitation to co-create a shared experience, shaped through intention, daily interactions, consistent communication, and meaningful follow-through.
When districts clarify the story they want families to live, not just hear, something important happens:
- Staff understand what matters most
- Families know what to expect
- Classrooms, schools, and departments begin reinforcing the same message
Statements like “My child is known and supported here” or “This district listens and responds” don’t emerge from a single initiative. They emerge when families experience alignment; when what they’re told matches what they feel.
TIP: Consider asking your families this question: “What statement would you hope to make about our school community this year?” Provide examples:
Step 2: Bring your story to life through moments and messages
Trust and reputation aren’t shaped during major announcements. They’re shaped during important (and often predictable) moments that occur across every school year.
- Enrollment and registration
- Conferences and family check-ins
- Attendance or behavior concerns
- Grading cycles and transitions
Each of these moments carries emotional weight for families, and each one has the potential to reinforce or erode the district’s story.
Instead of asking, “What message do we need to send?” high-performing districts ask:
- What should families feel here?
- What should families understand?
- What should families be able to do next?
Each moment then provides an opportunity to bring your shared story to life through messaging during key, important moments.
Step 3: Support staff so the experience matches the message
Families don’t experience “the district.”
They experience teachers.
They experience front offices.
They experience counselors, coaches, and attendance clerks.
That’s why staff support is essential to telling your story. A shared story only holds if it’s reinforced consistently across hundreds, sometimes thousands, of daily interactions.
Effective districts support staff by providing:
- An aligned message around the story you are creating
- Clear communication priorities that support that story
- Examples of positive, proactive outreach
- Shared expectations for tone and responsiveness
- Language access and accessibility supports
When staff are equipped and aligned, families experience coherence instead of contradiction. Trust grows not because everything is perfect, but because interactions feel respectful, predictable, sincere, and most importantly, an expression of the story they helped define.
Why this matters more than ever
In a shifting enrollment landscape, families have more choice than ever before. And choice is driven less by test scores alone and more by confidence.
Confidence that their child will be known.
Confidence that concerns will be heard.
Confidence that communication will be clear and accessible.
Districts that invest in family engagement as a core strategy, not a side effort, are better positioned to weather enrollment volatility. They don’t just react to change; they build resilience through relationships.
Stopping the drop doesn’t start with persuasion. It starts with partnership.
And it is accelerated by co-creating a story that families are proud to tell.
See TalkingPoints in action—watch a 90-second explainer video.
Celebrating 10 years of partnership and impact
For a decade, TalkingPoints has supported students, families, and educators through the power of effective family-school partnerships. As an education technology nonprofit, our award-winning communication and family engagement platform has improved outcomes for districts and students across the country.
We connect 9 million+ educators, students, and family members annually and have facilitated more than one billion conversations; building trust, fostering relationships, and fueling student success. Named by Common Sense Education as “the best overall family communication platform for teachers and schools,” TalkingPoints drives measurable gains in attendance and academic achievement, backed by rigorous, causal research.
Join us in building a future where every child has the support they need to thrive.
