It's easy to engage families when everything is going well. The real test comes with a redistricting decision, a bond referendum, or an attendance problem that won't budge.

Join Dr. Nelyda Perez, Superintendent of Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District; Jessica Reyes, Vice President at Laura Bishop Communications; and Brittany Keil, Senior Manager of Media and Research at Apptegy's SchoolCEO, for a look at how one New Jersey district built the trust to navigate its hardest conversations. You'll see how MARSD answered a 15 percent chronic absenteeism rate with the bilingual "I Am Here / Estoy Aquí" campaign — and moved attendance in its first year — how early listening lays the groundwork for a successful referendum, and how transparency carried families through redistricting.

You'll walk away with five things your district can do now, before you need something from your community. Because engagement isn't what you chase when you need families to act — it's the result of a relationship built over time.