Finance Campaign: Magnolia ISD
The challenge
Magnolia Independent School District (ISD) in Texas understood that communicating about district finances can’t be limited to the months leading up to an election. The district, which has won awards for financial transparency, set out to make information about its finances more accessible and easy to understand. To support that work, Magnolia ISD partnered with CESO Communications on a 12-month contract that included the creation of a finance microsite, handout, video work, and other assets.
Our approach
CESO Communications began the work with a written finance communications plan, determining what people needed to know, who needed to know the information and when, and the best way to disseminate it. The goal was to inform and ignite conversation among taxpayers about the positive track record and financial responsibility of Magnolia ISD. While considering ways to make financial information more digestible, Maggie the pig was born.
Maggie became the mascot of the new finance campaign, Money Matters, gracing the microsite, handouts and more. Maggie continues to serve as a piggy bank messenger, informing stakeholders about state funding, different types of budgets, and the nitty-gritty numbers to create a clear understanding of the district’s financial situation and why these numbers matter for students and any potential future elections.
With bold headlines, illustrative graphs, attention-grabbing elements and even an animated Maggie in an informative video, CESO Communications took an abundance of frequently misunderstood information and made it understandable. Microsite visitors are also encouraged to become more informed, register to vote, submit a question or get involved with the district in other ways.
Our impact
CESO’s work enabled Magnolia ISD to use bite-sized information and appealing graphics in storytelling across its communications channels, solidifying its reputation for financial transparency and further educating its community about the basics of public school finance.
The Money Matters campaign’s success was evident when comparing website engagement. From June 1, 2024 through Jan. 27, 2025, a period of six months, the district’s previous finance webpage only received 750 views, and the information was often difficult to find or wade through. From June 12 through Aug. 17, 2024, a period of two months after launching this campaign, the microsite garnered 4,313 views. Viewers spend time on the website and have had a positive reaction to the Money Matters campaign across all mediums.
Magnolia ISD continues to partner with CESO Communications for ongoing communications needs. Today, the Money Matters campaign remains as a year-round initiative, and the microsite stands as a living, breathing hub for stakeholders to access pertinent Magnolia ISD finance information, all with the help of Maggie the Magnolia pig.
More Views. Less Time. Bigger Impact.
4,313 page views
Higher time on page
Positive community feedback
Services provided
2024-present