CPS: new enrollment hotline provides better customer service

CINCINNATI - For the past 10 years, Cincinnati Public Schools' (CPS) enrollment has been slipping along with the city's population. And per pupil spending has gone up from 2004 to 2010. It's a more competitive environment for the students who remain in the city.

So, CPS tried some aggressive marketing tactics to attract students back, like a new enrollment hotline. Andrea Jamison is one of the people CPS would like to attract. She went to CPS' education building to enroll her 4-year-old daughter into preschool.

"I wish I had started a long time ago," said Jamison. "Just like I said, I'm just now finding out everything you have to do to get them enrolled. And then you may not get them into the school you want to get them into you know if you wait to the last minute."

But there's still time for Jamison to get her daughter signed up. This year, CPS assistant superintendent Bill Myles says they've tried to provide better customer service.

"We did come up with an enrollment hotline... 363-0513," Myles said. "And what we're trying to do is get individual service to folks. So if they want to go to a neighborhood school or a magnet school, they can call in and we can look at the numbers."

Myles says they've been more enterprising in their marketing and it's working.

"This year we sent direct mail to students who live in the community who are no longer Cincinnati Public Schools and what we've seen at Woodford is the enrollment has jumped up to 100 students above what we were projected," said Myles.

Myles says CPS still has openings in their magnet and neighborhood schools. To enroll your child, call the enrollment hotline at (513) 363-0513.