$30K Contract Renewed for School District's PR Firm

Success Communications will continue to act as the school district’s public relations firm.

The Board of Education approved rehiring the firm by a 8-1 vote at a meeting last week. Trustee Michael Bubba cast the lone dissenting vote.

The $30,000 annual contract with the district begins in July and will end in June 2014. The firm will be paid $2,500 a month.

Some parents contend that the firm is superfluous and a waste of taxpayer money. They have argued at board meetings that the work the firm does could easily be done by Superintendent Ray Gonzalez or someone else.

Improving communications with residents and members of the media is one of the district’s goals for the 2012-13 school year.

Gonzalez said during the presentation: “Effective communication is critical to student success by strengthening the tie between the school at the home.”

Mike Cherenson, the firm’s owner, spoke about the work his firm does and the role it plays in the community.

“A public relations firm helps the district be a better workplace, which attributes to morale,” Cherenson said.

Parents criticized officials for the timing of the presentation.

Karen Veale was the most vocal resident to speak out. She said she had been trying to talk with Gonzalez and Assistant Superintendent Marysol Berrios for weeks regarding her child being reportedly hit in the head by a substitute teacher at Pines Lake Elementary School.

“I'm almost happy this presentation took place this day because it's embarrassing for these people who hire a company that says communication should be timely, meaningful and relevant,” Veale said. “Practice that logic for yourselves.”

Creating and maintaining a network of social media accounts is part of the firm’s job.

The firm has created several social media accounts for the district. Posts regularly appear on the district’s Facebook page, which has 878 "likes."The firm has posted on Twitter 332 times since it was hired in March 2012.

However, only three videos have been posted on the district’s YouTube account. The latest video was published in August 2012. Only seven users have subscribed to the channel.

The last original post on the district’s Google+ account was created in January.

The district has used Success to implement various communications initiatives, including creating a parent portal and updating the district’s and schools’ websites.

Delivering “news and academic information” to 80 percent of families in the district electronically was one of the personal goals Gonzalez met this year in order to .

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