FALL RIVER — Calling it “a waste of cash,” the Fall River College Committee on Monday, Sept. 8, voted to not renew its annual contract with John Guilfoil Public Relations agency — a nation-wide communications and media relations firm that has served the varsity district for years.
All members of the varsity board, except for College Committee member Shelli Pereira abstaining, rejected the reportedly $27,000 contract, which is up for renewal October 2025.
College Committee member Kevin Aguiar admitted to being lower than glad with the agency’s position in serving to share the district’s information.
As an alternative, the board will search options, which might embrace hiring a media relations consultant internally and conserving native press within the loop. College Committee member Collin Dias steered the district “flip again on feedback” on its social media posts.
B.M.C. Durfee Excessive College is situated on Elsbree Road in Fall River.
Dias maintained that contracting a third-party agency “is a waste of cash,” and urged the board to find a extra “structured” method to disseminating information, notably excellent news, with the general public within the introduction of “open communication and collaboration,” he stated.
In accordance with JGPR’s web site, the agency focuses on representing and helping entities “who serve the general public,” with strategic communication. These entities embrace public security departments, authorities companies and municipalities, and faculty districts.
Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley took the time to fulfill with college students of the Nueva Vista Twin Language Program on the Carlton M. Viveiros Elementary College and see their work in the course of the scholar showcase occasion.
The place can households, academics and college students flip for centralized faculty information?
College Committee member Bobby Bailey requested the board to think about what platform could also be finest fitted to a central channel that Fall River Public College neighborhood members could simply entry for data.
“We speak about our picture within the district,” Bailey stated, however steered the district might moreover “management [its] narrative,” in guaranteeing all launched data is correct.
What the district is in search of in a brand new PR individual?
Bailey stated he helps the concept of an inner rent who can join the district with public media retailers, citing “how briskly information travels,” and the necessity to alleviate stress on Superintendent Tracy Curley, who’s sometimes known as upon to step in and hold the press or dad and mom updated.
“I don’t suppose it’s her job,” Bailey stated. “It’s not honest.”
Different committee members expressed considerations about “how information will get reported,” coupled with social media customers’ penchant for distorting data.
Previously, Curley has given public stories by way of native radio station WSAR, however Bailey fearful few listeners frequently tune in.
Curley maintained that the contract shared by the district and JGPR concerned “a number of press releases per thirty days,” together with emergency alerts and different breaking communication.
Dias pushes for district to ‘have interaction’ different media retailers
Following the vote that stripped Fall River’s public faculties of its media relations agency, Dias pressed his colleagues on stage to “have interaction” different native media retailers within the metropolis who can attain a wider vary of readers.
Dias stated he’d wish to see the committee do “as a lot as we will” to succeed in audiences and hold households knowledgeable.
This text initially appeared on The Herald Information: Fall River’s faculty board won’t renew yearly contract with PR agency
