District discusses adding communications specialist to expand in‑house capacity

Marshalltown — The Marshalltown Community School District held a discussion Monday about adding a communications specialist to the district office to expand in‑house capacity for storytelling, video and graphic design.

What was proposed: Communications director Abby (last name not provided in the record) described the department’s workload and recent accomplishments — including an increased social‑media presence, a district brand video with more than 20,000 views and a social media ambassador program at school sites. She said current vendor fees and project volume justify consideration of an additional staff member.

Costs and offsets: Board and administrative discussion referenced roughly $30,000 per year currently paid to outside vendors for communications services. Abby and finance staff estimated that hiring a communications specialist could offset about one‑quarter to one‑third of those contracted costs, while recognizing some specialized vendor work (high‑end video or motion graphics) would remain external. The board asked finance staff to return with a longer‑term fiscal analysis showing projected offsets and sustainable funding sources.

Why it matters: Board members and administrators agreed that stronger, sustained communications support helps with enrollment messaging, community engagement and crisis communications. Several board members noted the existing communications workload is greater than a one‑person office can sustainably handle, especially when urgent, unexpected events require rapid district‑level messaging.

Next steps: Staff will provide the board with more detailed cost‑offset analysis, vendor contract comparison and proposed job description and salary range. No hiring action was taken Monday; the discussion was informational.