Extra Credit!

Campbell Union H.S. District Creates P.R. Campaign
I saw this report on ABC 7 News on October 22, 2007. I thought this story was interesting because it involved a school district, a P.R. firm, tax payer’s money, and it raised the question of ethics.

Here is a quick summary of the details. ABC 7 News received an e-mail (basically a press release) from Mackenzie Communications – “a San Francisco public relations and marketing firm trying to promote the Campbell Union High School District,” according to the report. The release was to raise interest in the station to do back to school stories on the district. Free publicity. The news station wanted t o know how did a California school district have enough money to hire a public relations firm. The station did some investigating and found out that on June 28, 2007, “the school board approved a six-month contract with Mackenzie Communications to provide marketing communications services.” The district would use money to pay for the services from a “voter-approved parcel tax Measure M, passed in 2004.” The purpose of this measure was to restore and maintain current programs, reduce class sizes, enhance campus safety, and to recruit and retain qualified teachers.

The question is, is the district using the money correctly? The tax payers were not told that this money would be used to hire a P.R. firm so is this a stretch? The district believes that through the marketing of the firm the district will be able to get publicity and recruit more teachers.

I think in a way, the district got what it wanted, publicity. Weather the use of this tax is ethical or not they are still recieving publicity on this topic. That was the purpose of hiring the firm. At the end of the story it is mentioned that a Spanish TV station has done a story on this district and a local newspaper. “And – now us.”

To read this story click here.

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