What happens when a school district loses its PR position to budget cuts, enrollment starts declining, and community negativity drowns out all the good news?

In most cases, the downward spiral would continue. But at Blaine School District in Washington, one determined technology staff member decided to change everything.

I am so inspired by Tricia Johnson’s story! She has wisely leveraged her #SocialSchool4EDU Membership to rebuild relationships, reduce negativity, and reignite “Borderite Pride” in her tight-knit community. 

Let me show you how she did it.

When Budget Cuts and Community Crisis Collide

Tricia Johnson has been with Blaine School District since 2000, starting as a recess supervisor, then spending 15 years as an elementary librarian before transitioning to the technology department during the pandemic. She’s also a third-generation “Borderite” – her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, children, and now grandchildren all attended schools in Blaine, which is on the Canadian border.

So when she watched her beloved district struggle, it was personal. And challenges were mounting on multiple fronts.

Like many districts, Blaine took a significant hit during the pandemic. Community trust eroded, enrollment declined, and negative voices seemed to dominate every conversation about the school district.

Then, in 2022, the district was forced to eliminate its PR position due to budget cuts. With no one dedicated to sharing the schools’ positive stories, the situation worsened.

“We kept seeing students leave. We’re already a small school in a small county, and we were seeing students leave to go to other districts in our county. It just seemed like the grass was always ‘greener on the other side.'”

The situation reached a breaking point when staff advisory meetings consistently highlighted the same frustrating theme: Other schools had amazing social media presences, while Blaine’s had gone silent.

“There was constant negativity from the community, which was really frustrating, because those voices tend to be the loudest and they drown out good news. It was really frustrating, and I had a really hard time with that.”

That’s when Tricia made a decision that would change everything: “At the end of the 2023/2024 school year, I made the decision to volunteer to run our social media… and my goal was just to change the narrative.”

The “Borderite Pride” Initiative

What started as a simple goal to “change the narrative” has evolved into a comprehensive community-building strategy, with school pride at its heart.

Tricia began by thinking back to her high school days, when a principal coined the phrase “Borderite Pride.” She decided to bring this legacy slogan back to life!

During the first year of her efforts, she leaned into “Borderite Pride,” which evolved into “Borderite Pride Unified: Every voice, every heart, one Borderite family” during the following school year.

Although social media is a big part of her job, her approach goes even further. Tricia actively participates in superintendent advisory meetings, attends school board meetings, and joins community parent groups to truly understand what her audience needs and wants.

As she puts it: “It’s not all about me. I have to be willing to listen to the people who can teach me what I need to know.”

From Social Media Zero to Community Hero

The transformation at Blaine has been remarkable. Tricia’s end-of-year community survey revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback:

• Community members loved the increased post frequency and positive engagement
• They appreciated posts highlighting students, staff, and classroom learning
• Parents felt more informed and connected to their school
• The content was described as “more noticeable” and “more appealing”

Perhaps most importantly, the negative chatter has become a lot quieter. Tricia notes that it’s “almost non-existent!”

Social Media Channels and Strategy

What does the Blaine School District social media presence actually look like?

Tricia manages the district’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with some YouTube content. She made the strategic decision not to duplicate athletics content on these channels, since the athletic director already does an amazing job with those channels. Instead, she shares those posts to amplify his messaging.

When you scroll through the social media feeds, you’ll notice that the content spans everything from academic celebrations to community connections. One of Tricia’s favorite innovations is featuring class reunions and retired teacher gatherings!

This one even includes Tricia’s uncle and cousin!

She’s also developed regular features like “This Week Around Campus,” which posts every Sunday, and monthly Parent Square newsletters that repurpose her social media content, ensuring consistent communication across multiple channels.

Support & Community Through #SocialSchool4EDU

Flashback to when Tricia first volunteered to take over the social media channels: She quickly realized she needed a solid foundation to figure out what she was doing. 

That’s when she picked up my book, Social Media for Schools, and read it cover-to-cover in two days. She also participated in our summer Book Club – and by the end of it, she knew she needed to invest in the Membership Program.

“I would not be able to do what I’m doing without this group. I would be so lost!”

She’s particularly benefited from the Instagram Challenge, Canva Bootcamp, and regular webinars, often implementing ideas immediately after learning them.

Tricia also exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the membership community, regularly reaching out to other members to learn from their experiences, and being an active poster in the private Facebook group.

Lessons Learned and Looking Forward

Despite her success, Tricia remains refreshingly honest about the challenges:

Sometimes I feel really defeated when things don’t pan out or have the effect that I would like them to because my goal has always been to really try to rebuild a positive vibe in our community.

And this is her biggest “lesson learned” since taking on these new responsibilities:

It’s okay to slow down and think about things. Nothing has to happen all at once and it doesn’t have to be perfect, because we’re all learning. So just slow down, take a breath, be kind because we’re all doing a great job.

Tricia’s approach to community building through intentional storytelling has created lasting change in Blaine. She’s not just managing social media – she’s transformed how the community sees its local schools, one Borderite Pride post at a time.

I am so proud of Tricia and the passion she has for her school district and community! Her story exemplifies exactly what’s possible when you believe in your work, roll up your sleeves, and do what it takes to share positive stories.

Learn more about Tricia’s journey over on my podcast:

Are you ready to amplify your social media skills like Tricia? Check out our Membership Program where school communicators connect, learn, and grow together, all year long!