Crisis Communications Agency Work for a NYC Suburb’s School District 

Rosica Communications was retained by a Northern New Jersey Pre-K-12 school district operating eight schools. We were originally hired to assist with a crisis involving a teacher who had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. After developing all internal and external communications, including holding statements for the media, and helping the board and district successfully manage perception, a school administrator was also placed on leave and was being investigated in a separate matter altogether.  

Working with the school board’s attorney, board president, and superintendent to ensure the school community was informed in a concise, factual, personalized, timely, yet legally judicious manner, Rosica supported the district throughout both investigations and, ultimately, the dismissals of both individuals. Due to the teacher’s union and the legal complexities of discharging both tenured employees, the process required multiple communications with administrators, faculty, staff, local government, and the community at large. Rosica’s expertise in navigating complex crisis communications challenges with sensitivity and addressing the needs of all stakeholder groups helped the public school district manage perception throughout the multi-month-long process. 

As part of this work, we developed statements for the board president to read at board meetings, prepared internal and external messaging for the school community (parents, faculty, and staff), as well as public statements for media. We helped shape an accurate narrative while managing legal requirements and safeguarding the board and administration to mitigate further risk. Rosica anticipated challenging questions and prepared comprehensive Q&A documents that equipped district leadership to strategically address concerns with confidence, prudence, and transparency, which is a challenging and dichotomous endeavor. 

During this time, we helped convey the district’s views, which centered on protecting the student body and creating a healthy, safe environment for learners. This consistent message guided every communication and reinforced the district’s commitment to student well-being throughout the highly sensitive process. 

Following the successful and strategic management of several crises, the district continues to rely on Rosica for support, utilizing our agency as needed for school district crisis communications. This includes being on-call as crisis communications agency-of-record and providing an informed perspective 24/7/365 whenever sensitive issues emerge.