How One Rural School District is Reaching Thousands of People on Social Media

John Hannah has been the superintendent of Morton School District in rural Washington for the past ten years. Morton is a small logging community between Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. 

This school district experienced significant shifts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment grew steadily, from fewer than 300 students to nearly 500, as families moved into the area to take advantage of a rural lifestyle. 

In response, Morton School District stepped up its services and programs to better serve families and attract even more students to the district. The district poured resources into vocational programs for grades 7-12 and began offering the only Pre-K option for 3- and 4-year-olds for 30+ miles. 

As a result, John took on more responsibilities as the district carved out its unique niche. 

In his own words, “Whether your district has 3,000 kids, 30,000 kids, or 300 kids, leaders have the same duties –  but there are just fewer of us to do it!”

For years, social media management was one of those duties that got passed around internally. Well-meaning staff members would squeeze it into their full days, but something was still missing. John spoke with community members and discovered what they wished the school would publicize.

They want those personal stories. They don’t want to hear about enrollment or financial budgets. They told me: ‘Tell me the story. Tell me that kids have a work ethic. Tell me that kids are learning skills that will help them when they graduate. Tell me about kids going to college. Tell me about the success of these different programs. Tell me why, in our case, Morton is a place to be proud of.

Setting Up a System for Success

Without a staff member to dedicate to social media, John realized he needed help. 

After speaking to the school board, John turned to Google. Typing in “social media for schools” brought him straight to the #SocialSchool4EDU website, and he booked a call with Andrea Gribble. That conversation led him to see how a social media management partnership would help his district achieve the social media results he knew it was capable of. He now relies on #SocialSchool4EDU for the strategy, the system, and the day-to-day management.

As a district, there’s a lot that we think people know because we see it every day. My staff sees it. We see this kid do something amazing, or we see a program that we’re so proud of, and we have this belief that everybody knows what we know. Social media helps connect and tell our community, “Did you know this goes on? Did you know this program is being offered to the kids? Did you know our kids are doing this type of event?” It helps them understand what to be proud of.

So, how does it work?

The system is simple and can work in any school district, whether you’re a small district partnering with #SocialSchool4EDU or a larger district with in-house communications personnel!

John talks about social media to his full staff about twice a year. He asks every staff member – from custodians to teachers to bus drivers – to submit two stories per month. They can be classroom updates, vocational program stories, or even esports highlights!

The first thing we say is we don’t want framed or set up pictures. We want to capture real-life, in-the-moment events. We ask them to catch those moments that show kids actively learning, caring, and engaging. Those authentic moments are important. We ask them to send a picture and a brief description of what the picture is about to an email we’ve set up for social media submissions.

In the case of Morton School District, that email inbox is monitored by Ashley Alanis, a School Account Manager trained in social media best practices and storytelling. Ashley is an extension of the Morton School District team! John can’t say enough good things about her creativity and consistency, which has elevated the district’s online presence and captured the attention of thousands in their community. 

For her part, Ashley loves the partnership:

I love celebrating the big and small moments happening at the school. The bigger events always receive a lot of love on social media, whether it’s sports events, graduations, or award nights. However, what I love most are the sweet, small moments happening in the Morton schools. From smiles captured on the playground to the joy and excitement on students’ faces when they release their butterflies for the first time, these small moments warm my heart and the hearts of the Morton community.

Even though Ashley is technically located 2,000 miles away from Morton School District, she can feel the energy of the community. With all the liking, sharing, commenting, and tagging taking place, she can see the traction the posts are generating – especially in the weekly #ThrowbackThursday posts. 

John shared that the district tries not to post announcements on social media but instead, communicates those directly with families via email. The goal is for the social media channels to be celebratory! This post, which showcases a simple act of kindness, reached over 12,000 people:

Stories Create Connections

Once the staff understood the system and got on board with the goal of celebrating positive moments, the stories began pouring in!

John shared that in a town of 1,000 people, their social media posts reach more than 5,000 per week on Facebook. Alumni across the country comment on Morton School District’s posts, sharing their pride for their alma mater.

Ashley really values the relationships with staff members, which makes the content submission process seamless. She shared:

I greatly enjoy the collaborative spirit and the sense of community that comes from working with the staff members who submit content. Their passion for showcasing the amazing things happening in the Morton School District is truly inspiring. Their genuine excitement and pride for their students and work make every interaction rewarding. These relationships also provide a deeper connection to the school community, allowing me to share and celebrate both the big and small moments that make the Morton School District so special.

In her podcast interview, Andrea asked John about his best tip for getting the “right” stories for social media. His answer is spot-on!

The best tip is to let others tell the story, and the best people for sharing those stories are teachers, bus drivers, and other staff. When they are the storytellers, it’s much more effective. They put personality and authenticity into the message. When it comes from me, it’s second-hand and doesn’t have the same value. Our teachers are way more connected to the kids and parents than I am, which is how it should be. Leadership is sometimes just getting out of the way and letting those connected share their authentic stories.

Ballot Box Success

But wait… there’s more!

This positive shift in social media directly impacted the district’s financials. Morton School District hadn’t passed a school bond since 1988, and its infrastructure (especially the elementary school, built in 1948) desperately needed updates.

In recent years, the district failed two bonds in a row – but in spring 2024, it passed a $24.5 million ballot measure with the required supermajority of the vote (over 60%) in favor.

John attributes the success of this effort, in large part, to social media! 

Teachers become close with their 25 to 30 kids and their parents. But that’s where the story stays; it doesn’t get bigger, and that’s the sad part. That broader message really does matter and makes a huge impact. I really don’t think that we would have passed our bond otherwise. We had an elementary school building with a roof falling off and ceilings falling down in bathrooms. Being able to share not just the need but also the positives—what’s going on—like our sign language program in the elementary school, or STEM activities, or even a picture of a kid tying another’s shoe while waiting in line for lunch, really shows the perspective of how great our kids and staff are.

Empower Your Team, Step Back, and Watch the Results

Ashley and the entire team at #SocialSchool4EDU loves the partnership with Morton School District. She noted: “Even though the Morton School District is smaller compared to others, the energy and excitement from this school community are boundless. The celebrations are grand, and the support from the community is truly exceptional.” 

Morton School District is the perfect example of what it means to use social media correctly, even in a rural school. You can follow along on Facebook and Instagram to get a taste of this wonderful little district’s culture, staff, and students!

We’ll close out this case study with one more piece of wisdom from Superintendent John Hannah: “Small schools are really the center of their town. We’re giving our community something to be proud of, and through social media, now they know why to be proud of their school.”

Would you like to learn more about #SocialSchool4EDU’s social media management service? Click here to schedule a chat with Andrea Gribble!