No Communications Office? Do These 5 Things

The school year is underway. Teachers are back, students are settling into their routines, and school leaders are already juggling more priorities than they probably care to count.

Communications is one of them. The reality is that in 2026, school districts need dedicated communications professionals. Someone needs to own the message, build relationships with the community and media, tell the district’s story and be ready when something goes wrong. Too often, however, districts don’t budget for dedicated communications until a crisis hits. And that’s when they discover just how much they were missing. If that’s your district, don’t wait for the crisis. There are several things you can do right now to improve your communications—and begin building the foundation for a real communications function. Here are five places to start.