Charter schools across Oregon are competing for a shrinking pool of families, with tighter budgets, more crowded marketing landscapes, and leaders stretched thinner than ever. In that environment, the schools pulling ahead aren't the ones with the biggest budgets — they're the ones who've figured out what makes them genuinely different, and built their enrollment strategy around it.
Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School, one of Oregon's top charter schools, grew enrollment by 10% — 120+ new students — when they began telling their core story effectively. This session walks through the real partnership between Arco Iris and Grow Schools: the strategy, the bilingual digital and community outreach campaign, and the results. Christa Billings, Board President, joins Grow Schools to break down what worked and how other Oregon charter schools can apply the same thinking to whatever makes them distinct.
Attendees will leave with:- A framework for reading their own enrollment position in a tightening market, and identifying which parts of their identity can become real differentiators
- A real example of digital and community-based outreach that other Oregon schools can adapt to their own populations
- What it takes to sustain enrollment momentum — and how Arco Iris is approaching their next chapter, including expansion
