Urban schools use marketing to woo residents back - washingtonpost.com: ...The $50,000 campaign by a school system still trying to rebound from a long history of racial segregation and white flight is an example of efforts under way in several cities to retain students. School districts are highlighting improvements to halt declining head counts so they can retain their funding, especially in light of drastic state budget cuts.
'People are still stuck with perceptions of yesteryear, and are not really aware of what we have to offer today,' Richmond Superintendent Yvonne Brandon said. 'It's not perfect, but be a part of the solution and become invested now.'
Like other urban school districts, Richmond, where 88 percent of students are black, 7 percent are white, and 71 percent are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, has struggled on many fronts.
