As school districts across the country struggle with distrust, misinformation, polarization and politicization, we knew we needed a new kind of community engagement program to tackle these challenges head on.

At Francis Howell School District in St. Charles, Mo., we decided to send our taxpayers back to school, and created an army of informed citizens in the process. Now in its third year, our Citizens In Our Schools program has been wildly successful and has even inspired similar efforts in districts across the nation.

Over the course of nine months, Citizens In Our Schools participants get a behind-the-scenes look at every aspect of district operations. They see firsthand what we’re teaching in classrooms and how decisions are made. They learn about school finance and what daily life is like for teachers and support staff. They sit behind the wheel of a school bus, serve lunch in our cafeterias and sweep floors alongside our custodians. By the end of the program, participants are more likely to advocate on our behalf, correct misinformation and speak positively about our schools and staff.

Thinking of starting a similar program in your district? Here are some tips you may find helpful.

• ESTABLISH A PLANNING TEAM: Launching a Citizens In Our Schools program is a heavy lift. Make sure you have help! Our 16-member planning team includes operational directors, academic directors, representatives from our teacher and support staff unions, communications staff, community members and central office administrators. The team recruits and selects participants, oversees the content and activities for each program day and evaluates the program’s impact. By design, each member of the planning team serves as captain for one program day. As captain, they develop the agenda and plan all activities for their assigned program day. 

• RECRUIT A DIVERSE COHORT: Strive for diversity - not just in terms of race and ethnicity, but also age, connection to the district and diversity of thought. Our first two cohorts each had 28 participants with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. You want an intentional mix of parents, grandparents, taxpayers without any kids in the district, business and nonprofit leaders, business owners and – if they are active in your community – members of different political action groups. Our participants also span generations, with the youngest members in their 20s and the oldest in their 70s. 

• COMMIT TO RADICAL TRANSPARENCY: We advertised our program as an opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes look at all aspects of the district and we took that seriously. Strive for authenticity and show what really happens at school - warts and all! Don’t shy away from the hot button topics your community is talking about. Take the time to address them head on and you will grow your base of loyal supporters.
   

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  MAKE IT FUN: If citizens are going to give you a full eight hours of their attention each month, you owe it to them to make it fun. We asked our captains to follow a set of parameters when planning their program day:

• Make the day interactive, with no more than 90 minutes of “sit and get” at one time;
• Include multiple student and staff voices throughout the day; and
• Allow ample time for questions and reflection. 

We kick off our program each year with a school bus tour to all 23 schools where teams of students and staff show off their school spirit. Along the way, we play school bus bingo, hear from the transportation director about how snow day decisions are made and learn little bits of history about each school. Throughout the program, we encourage participants to get off the sidelines and experience daily routines with our students and staff. They play with kids at recess, sing songs with them in music class and taste the foods prepared by high school nutrition classes. They change light bulbs alongside our maintenance crews, serve as interviewers on mock hiring committees and create school budgets while wrestling with unexpected changes in revenue. But the most memorable activities are the ones that showcase unique traditions. One of the top-rated activities for our past cohorts was visiting an elementary school to be “sorted” into Harry Potter-style houses. Participants spun a big wheel to find their house and were met with shrieks of joy from 5th graders who welcomed them with open arms and a beaded necklace in their new house colors.  

• MEASURE THE IMPACT: Make sure you have a system in place to determine if your program is effective. We used a pre-program and post-program survey to measure impact. In our first cohort, every single participant made material improvements in their knowledge and understanding of school district operations - specifically in the areas of finance (202% growth), curriculum (101%), transportation (124%), technology (144%), facilities (125%), school safety (103%) and hiring and benefits (154%). After completing the Citizens In Our Schools program, participants were 34% more likely to agree that the District spends taxpayer funds effectively,12% more likely to agree that the District offers a high-quality education and 18% more likely to trust leadership to make good decisions. The data also showed a change in positive behaviors. After Citizens In Our Schools, participants say they are 22% more likely to correct misinformation they hear or read online. They’re also more likely to engage in conversations about the district, advocate for our staff and our schools, and less likely to speak critically about the district. 

Our second cohort saw similar results. Beyond the hard metrics, we observed a marked increase in engagement from both cohorts even after the program ended. Many are posting about their experience on social media, attending Board meetings, helping recruit new participants, serving as key communicators, sharing ideas for improvement and helping attract job candidates for hard to fill roles such as bus drivers and custodians.

While we expected to see measurable impacts on those who completed the Citizens In Our Schools program, we did not anticipate the additional benefits the program would bring. A recent survey sent to all district stakeholders showed significant improvements in community trust and support. Sixty-five percent (65%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the District made efforts to be more transparent in the last 12 months and ratings on efforts to involve citizens in decision-making, report plans and progress to citizens and responsiveness to citizen concerns all improved. The community’s belief that the District spends taxpayer funds effectively and efficiently increased by 42% in two years and trust in leadership to make good decisions increased by 51%. While other factors certainly contributed to these gains, there is evidence that the decision to host the Citizens In Our Schools program and commit to full transparency led to improvements in overall community trust and support. 

• KEEP THEM ENGAGED: Find ways to keep participants engaged after they graduate from the program. We invite class representatives from each cohort to serve on the planning team so they can help make the program even better for future participants. And this year, we launched a Citizens In Our Schools Alumni Reunion Tour and invited graduates from the last two cohorts to reunite for a special finance-focused session. The group is now well informed and energized to help educate the broader community about recent and pending property tax legislation that would have a significant impact on district revenue if enacted. 

Now more than ever, school districts need well-informed, engaged citizens to help combat misformation and unify communities. An immersive, nine-month program where citizens can take a peek behind the curtain and learn about all aspects of school district operations can improve credibility and trust with taxpayers and turn even the toughest critics into raving fans.