ECISD, UTPB marketing plan

Imagine seeing ECISD student achievement highlights on a flashing marquee along 42nd Street.

Hey, it could happen.

And the idea's been suggested by three UTPB marketing students as one of several ways the Ector County Independent School District could improve communication with parents and community members.

Brian Moersch, ECISD executive director for district operations, contacted UTPB associate business professor Anshu Saran and asked if some of his marketing management students could offer up some ideas on how to recognize what information has value to individual groups like parents and the community.

"Our intent is to apply every suggestion they have," Moersch said.

Moersch and ECISD Communications Director Mike Adkins expect to receive a full report from the students by early May and then each would evaluate the suggestions prior to implementation, Moersch said.

Moersch expects the plan to help him analyze how the district communicates through avenues like the ECISD website and newsletters.

"We always have to review our processes to enhance them," he said.

Adkins said district officials have discussed improving communication throughout this school year.

In the three years Adkins has worked with ECISD, he said officials haven't asked UTPB marketing students to help with a plan, but it's a less expensive way to gain ideas without hiring an advertising company.

He said the student ideas seem well thought out.

Three students, hand-picked by Saran for the project, used the district's website, data about the district and some of their own personal experiences to develop ideas for the plan.

Students recently suggested ways of improving communication through revamping the ECISD website, developing a webpage specifically for parents, an electronic billboard along a major intersection in Odessa and to promote student academic achievements and athletics in equal measure.

UTPB marketing junior Shaina Washington, 21, said community members don't immediately recognize some of the positive internal happenings in the district and the elements proposed would help in developing people's knowledge of what's going on at ECISD.

"That's why we considered the billboard as another form of communication for the public," Washington said.

The other two students, who both have children in ECISD, said the project helped them develop ideas from the perspective of both parents and marketing students.

"We're the ones who are going to be going on that website," UTPB marketing senior Rina Bale said.

The 29-year-old mother of two Blanton Elementary students said it was good for her to suggest ideas because she and her children are part of the district's clientele.

Bale said the project helped her as a student because it was a real-life experience to work with clients.

"We didn't have to read a book to do this," Bale said. "That's always a plus."

Saran suggested the district form an internal marketing team to meet at least once a year to discuss issues in ECISD and what people would like to see change.

In addition, Saran said ECISD officials should consider improving the "satisfaction levels" of district teachers.

"If teachers don't want to go to school, that's a problem," Saran said.

The students also suggested reviewing the district's process of selecting teachers for jobs to analyze the absenteeism issue.

Saran said it would take some effort to work through the "bad information" filtered to the public.

"It's just getting that good in the hands of the community," Saran said.