From Leads to Enrolled: Building a Recruitment Engine That Works
Filling seats in today's charter school landscape requires more than a great school; it demands a strategy. In this session, the presenter will walk through the building blocks of a full-cycle enrollment recruitment approach that drives measurable results, from the first touchpoint with a family to a student walking through school doors on day one. Starting with goal-setting - how to work backwards from an enrollment target to build a realistic funnel and align investment to what it actually takes to hit your numbers. From there, participants will be able to dig into role clarity: successful recruitment is an organization-wide responsibility, not one person's job. Looking at frameworks for defining ownership across a team so nothing falls through the cracks, the presenter will help participants to explore what it takes to show up in the community in ways that build trust and generate leads, and how targeted paid media can dramatically expand reach and drive awareness at scale without wasting budget on broad, untargeted campaigns. Together, participants will tackle progress monitoring by looking at how to build the tracking systems and structures that give real-time visibility across every stage of the enrollment funnel, from initial lead to application, offer, and registration because knowing numbers at every step is what allows leaders to course-correct before it's too late. Whether building an initial recruitment strategy or looking to sharpen an existing one, participants will leave with practical tools and a clear framework they can start using immediately.
Presented by
Janet Delmundo Director of Recruitment & Enrollment KIPP Public Schools Northern California
Hilary Harmssen Principal JOAN Collaborative
Hilary Harmssen is a senior nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience supporting charter schools and public education systems. At KIPP Northern California, she served as Chief External Impact Officer, leading communications, policy, fundraising, and community engagement for a network of high-performing charter schools. She built strong relationships with district authorizers, aligned stakeholders, and advanced equitable student outcomes. Earlier, at CCSA, Hilary led statewide efforts supporting hundreds of charter and district schools through advocacy, coalition-building, and strategic planning. She brings deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, governance, and navigating complex education environments.
Gayle Nadler Executive Director Multicultural Learning Center
Gayle Nadler is the Executive Director of Multicultural Learning Center (MLC), a TK-8 charter school providing a global education program in English and Spanish since 2001, and the 2022 California Charter School of the Year. Gayle leads MLC with a focus on community partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and organizational culture. MLC received the 2018 Education for a Global Economy Award from the California Department of Education – a distinction that aligns with Gayle’s core beliefs in the role public education plays in preparing scholars to impact their communities with their diverse perspectives, multi-lingual abilities, and commitment to social justice.
