To address declining enrollment, Austin ISD plans to take a new approach to the way the district recruits and retains its students starting in 2016. The AISD board of trustees approved a $350,000 contract with a marketing consultant during its meeting Dec. 14 with a 7-0-2 vote.

AISD hired Austin-based firm Sanders/Wingo Advertising Inc. to create a media plan that aims to retain and recruit students, change the perception of underperformance in East Austin schools, and communicate and engage with all ethnic audiences, according to the contract.

The district has seen a decline of approximately 3,000-4,000 students during the past three to four years, trustee Paul Saldaña said.