Promoting After-School Tutoring in Your Principal Newsletter

After-school tutoring programs are one of the highest-impact interventions a school can offer, and one of the most consistently under-enrolled. The barrier is almost never the program quality. It is communication: families do not know the program exists, do not know their child qualifies, or do not know how to enroll. The newsletter closes all three gaps.

The enrollment announcement: what families need to decide

A tutoring program announcement that only mentions the program name and dates will not move enrollment. Families who are on the fence need enough information to make a decision. Every announcement should include:

• What subjects are covered. Reading, math, test prep, specific courses? Be specific.
• Who is eligible. All students? Specific grades? Students who are academically at risk (and if so, how are those students identified)?
• Schedule and frequency. Which days, what time, how long is each session?
• Cost. Is it free? Is there a fee waiver for families who need it?
• Transportation. This is the most common barrier for working families. If transportation is available, lead with it. If it is not, describe the pickup procedure families need to arrange.
• How to enroll.One specific step, not 'contact the school.'

Use outcome data to make the case

Families who are lukewarm about tutoring respond to evidence. If you have data from the previous year on tutoring program outcomes, include it: 'Last year, students who attended the program at least twice a week improved their quarterly grade by an average of one letter grade in the subject area they focused on.'

If you do not have program-specific data yet, cite external research: regular academic tutoring improves outcomes for students at all levels, not just struggling ones. Even high-performing students benefit from regular study support in challenging subjects.

Address the transportation barrier directly

For many working families, the question 'how does my child get home?' is the deciding factor in any after-school program enrollment. If your program has a late bus, say so in the first sentence of the logistics section. If your district provides late transportation, describe exactly how it works. If transportation is the responsibility of the family, acknowledge that directly: 'Families are responsible for pickup at 4:30 p.m.'

Mention the program in every newsletter during enrollment season

A single announcement rarely converts to enrollment for families who are on the fence. A brief mention in three or four consecutive newsletters, with the enrollment deadline clearly stated, reaches families at different stages of their decision-making process.

Daystage makes it easy to include a standing program reminder section that runs for a defined enrollment period without requiring you to re-draft the announcement each month.