Forging Community Ties and Amplifying School Spirit in Kansas!
Ben Boothe, Ed.D. has a lot on his plate.
Not only is he the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for Gardner Edgerton Unified School District 231 in Kansas, a district with over 6,000 students, but until recently, he handled PR and communications as well!
Ben is smart enough to know when he needs to ask for help, which is exactly what he did when he realized the district was not using social media to its fullest potential. Gardner Edgerton worked with #SocialSchool4EDU for social media management for two years. The program flourished so much that the district got to the point where it could hire a part-time Communications Specialist in 2026!
Ben shared, “#SocialSchool4EDU helped us build capacity, systems, and consistency before bringing the work in-house.” Read on to learn more about how the #WeAreUSD231 brand is thriving online.
Prefer listening over reading? Catch my podcast episode with Ben!
Starting from Scratch
Before he moved into his current role, Ben was the Director of Community Relations for the district. When he accepted that role back in 2019, he realized the social media presence was very minimal.
There was a district account and a couple of Twitter profiles, but no brand alignment and a dismal lack of consistency. He started with the lowest hanging fruit: Setting up a Facebook page and aligning Twitter handles across the district. Ben also established posting guidelines and made sure all accounts were well-branded.
“It was going well until COVID hit, which shifted our focus and reduced content,” Ben shared in our podcast interview. “Last year, the guilt set in. Just posting once a week was challenging!”
Calling for Reinforcements
Ben knew Andrea Gribble from a KanSPRA event years ago where she shared a keynote presentation on social media. He reached out to see how #SocialSchool4EDU could potentially support Gardner Edgerton – and the rest is history!
Initially, Ben was skeptical about how this partnership would work. Would the district lose complete control of its pages? How could #SocialSchool4EDU fit seamlessly into their communications team without being on-site?
But the onboarding process was so systemized that his fears were soon alleviated. The #SocialSchool4EDU team helped consolidate all social media accounts into one main Facebook and Instagram page for the district. Individual schools weren’t posting to their pages consistently, anyway, and having one central account allows for a balanced, steady feed.
Andrea also provided clear onboarding instructions for district staff, showing them how things work and how they can be involved.
Enjoying a Dedicated Account Manager
Melissa Edwards is a seasoned school account manager on the #SocialSchool4EDU team, and she was eager to dive into the Gardner Edgerton content. Staff members within the district learned to send content directly to Melissa, who managed a dedicated inbox for this very purpose.
Through this system, teachers, administrators, and support staff were all empowered to find and capture stories for social media! They simply took a few photos or videos and sent them to Melissa with a few sentences about what’s happening. She took it from there.
Melissa seamlessly turned each email into a social media story, breathing life and energy into every post. She shared:
Melissa Edwards, #SS4EDU School Account Manager
Even though Gardner Edgerton is a really large district composed of multiple schools, with everyone working together in our system, we can celebrate all the most wonderful things about USD231 seamlessly! When I was the account manager, I loved being able to shine a light on each school, highlighting everything from sports, to achievements, to the joy found in the first snowfall at recess. Working with this dedicated staff was a true pleasure!
Throughout the 2-year partnership with #SocialSchool4EDU, Ben was impressed with how this system allowed for content to flow smoothly between the employees and Melissa.
Reaping the Rewards
Ben raved about how things are going:
We’ve definitely seen more engagement from parents, students, and community members on our social media platforms! The storytelling approach has resulted in active participation, resonating well with our community.
School staff and leaders were also blown away by the improvement. Ben shared: “Our superintendent commented to me several times, ‘man that social media company we’re using – they’re really rocking’ and I just said ‘I told you so!’”
The #WeAreUSD231 brand thrives on diversity and inclusion, and Ben is proud of reflecting this on social media. Plus, school activities that weren’t previously in the spotlight have now found new visibility and recognition, thanks to this partnership.
After taking two years to firmly establish Gardner Edgerton’s now-flourishing social media presence, it became time to hand off the reins. This growing district needed more communications support – and the entire #SocialSchool4EDU team celebrated this exciting new step!
#SocialSchool4EDU seamlessly handed off the social media management system to the new school communications professional. Of course, she still needed (and deserved!) support, so she enrolled in the year-round membership program for ongoing professional development, resources, and a supportive community.
Throwback Thursdays are particularly popular, sparking nostalgia with people reminiscing and engaging over old photos. Here are just a few examples of posts that are earning engagement and creating connections within the Gardner Edgerton community:
Bracelet-making Inspired by Taylor Swift
Alumni Hall of Fame 2024 Induction Ceremony Photo Album
State Championship Football Game
High School Seniors Painting Their Parking Spots
Middle School Student of Distinction
Johnson County Farm Bureau’s Slice of Ag Field Trip
Focusing on What Matters
We’ll let Ben close out this article in his own words!
If someone is considering whether this approach might benefit their school, I’d say it’s unquestionably beneficial. It’s a seamless, impactful solution, with an easy onboarding process, efficient staff training, and continuous support to ensure successful social media management. This is especially valuable for districts with limited communications staffing.
Follow the Gardner Edgerton stories on Facebook and Instagram! And if you’d like to learn more about #SocialSchool4EDU’s social media management service, click here to schedule a chat with Andrea Gribble.
