With ongoing funding at risk, Boise Schools didn’t just need parents. It needed neighbors — the majority of Boise voters who don’t have a kid in the system, but live and benefit from the community that public schools help build.

THE CHALLENGE

Make the case for schools when funding’s on the line.

With ongoing funding at risk, Boise School District faced a bigger challenge than enrollment or awareness: gaining support from people without kids in the system. In a polarized environment, public schools could no longer be taken for granted. The district needed voters to see Boise Schools as essential to Boise’s future.

THE SOLUTION

People don’t vote for schools. They vote for their neighborhood.

From the rhythm of daily life to the bigger connections that hold a community together, Boise Schools are the heart of Boise’s neighborhoods. People don’t just care about schools; they care about the kind of community they live in.

We recognized that Boise Schools contribute far more than student outcomes. They help build strong neighborhoods, a capable workforce, a vibrant civic life, and the quality of place residents value. By shifting the conversation from “schools for kids” to “schools for Boise,” we could help neighbors, community leaders, and insiders alike see public education as the backbone of a thriving city.

That insight became Good Neighbors — a campaign that positioned Boise Schools not as a service for parents, but as a force building the community everyone is proud to call home.

THE IMPACT

Good Neighbors is already paying off.

With funding on the line, Good Neighbors increased visibility and strengthened positive sentiment around Boise Schools across the broader community. Sustained storytelling across digital and broadcast channels put that message in front of residents citywide, reinforcing one idea: strong schools benefit everyone, not just the families inside them.