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Schools

Marketing Campaign Underway To Boost Enrollment At New LEUSD Online Academy

Billboards, vehicle wraps and word of mouth have helped attract 164 students to Southern California Online Academy, which is slated to begin operation Aug. 11.

Lake Elsinore Unified School District is using billboards, vehicle wraps, banners around town, and word of mouth to boost enrollment at its new online charter school.

To date, advertising and promotional efforts for Southern California Online Academy -- which is slated to begin operation on Aug. 11 -- has attracted 164 students.

And the district plans to continue its marketing campaign.

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The goal is to have 300 students enrolled in the school this year and to continue to boost interest in the program, which provides education via computer and communication with online instructors.

The academy has a $50,000 advertising and promotion budget and the amount could grow as the Lake Elsinore Unified School District moves into a new budget year. Initial advertising campaigns include a billboard on I-15 near Central Avenue, advertising wraps on district vans, and banners around town.

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The academy selected Baton Rouge, LA-based Lamar to design and erect outdoor billboards. The plan now is to put up an LED sign somewhere along the 91 freeway, possibly near Corona or Riverside.

“We have got to expand our outside presence,” said Mark Dennis, district coordinator of community and media relations.

LED signs use light emitting diodes that provide a bright, colorful and eye-catching message.

The academy also has signs displayed at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium.

Dennis said the academy will consider newspaper, PennySaver and radio advertising to reach more potential students and their families.

Promotional efforts include booths at community events. On May 28, Dennis manned a booth at the Fiesta Day in Canyon Lake; he did the same during an April 30 Bicycle Safety Event in Wildomar.

At the Canyon Lake event, Dennis handed out freebies like brochures, bracelets, pens and flexible rulers with printed advertising and the academy logo. He stressed that branding is a big part of getting people to recognize Southern California Online Academy and differentiate it from other similar academies.

“Branding is very effective,” Dennis said.

In addition, the academy plans to have K12, its online curriculum developer, send out a blast of e-mails promoting the online academy. Social media will also be used, but it will work best once the online academy is in operation, Dennis said.

Veronica Godinez, principal of Southern California Online academy, said that most teacher positions have been filled for the program. Just prior to the Memorial Day holiday she had two positions needing to be filled in Kindergarten through third grades. She has hired teachers in higher grades to teach math, science, English, social studies, driver’s education, physical education and health.

In selecting teachers for the program, Godinez said she not only looked for those with good academic backgrounds, but also teachers experienced in new technology, including those who had taken online-teaching courses.

High school students will be enrolled in two courses every six to seven weeks and earn 10 credits in each course. They will complete the equivalent of 40 credits each semester.

Besides enrolling Lake Elsinore students, the online academy will accept students in other nearby districts and counties. Students from Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego and Orange counties can enroll.

Godinez said that although, it has been a lot of work preparing for an online school, the effort has been rewarding. “I love it,” she said, noting that she has had the previous experience of opening an online school in Idaho.

 

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