December 19, 2016, Shelton, CT – A new survey of two hundred U.S. school secretaries reveals an enlightening landscape of statistical data and charts about discretionary spending for the 2017 K-12 academic school year, and likely preferences for best ways to connect with the administrators and teachers who make the purchasing decisions.

The survey took place in October, 2016 with U.S. school secretaries working in elementary through high school, and was jointly conducted by two industry leaders in education data and research -- Market Data Retrieval (MDR) and School Market Research Institute (SMRI).

Bob Stimolo, founder and president of School Market Research Institute, says, “School secretaries are at the center of the process in which administrators and teachers learn about educational products and services and when purchasing decisions are made. They are the gatekeepers to disseminate information and know the decision makers at all levels.”

The final report covers a groundswell of responses to survey questions on the minds of many education vendors and suppliers, such as “What do U.S. schools plan to spend their discretionary funds on in 2017, and what are educators’ preferences when it comes to learning more about products and services that meet their needs? The report will also address:

• Expectations of spending ‘more or less’ on digital and print instructional materials.
• Likely purchases of school supplies.
• Technology readiness and internet connectivity.
• Preferences for receiving promotional materials by email and direct mail.
• Major challenges facing school administrators, and more.

The MDR/SMRI School Secretary report is no cost from MDR. Interested media and education industry vendors can request a copy by calling 800-333-8802 or by email at mdrinfo@dnb.com.

Anne Wujcik, Editor of MDR’s EdNET Insight, says, “This survey comes on the heels of a Continuing FY 2017 Budget Resolution in one of the most highly speculative years for national education funding. With a new President-elect Trump, a new Secretary of Education, Betsy Devos, and a Republican Congress, vendors want to identify their best opportunities to connect with educators and sell to U.S. schools. This survey may hold some insight for 2017 and beyond.”

About School Market Research Institute (SMRI)

School Market Research Institute, Inc. has helped school marketers reach educators since 1980 and conducts a quarterly survey of school marketers tracking sales by industry segment. Bob Stimolo is the official school market consultant for the Education Market Association, publisher of School Marketing Newsletter, and speaker at education market conferences. He has conducted numerous training sessions for school marketers and published two books on the subject. Visit School Market Research Institute, Inc.

About MDR

MDR is an integrated marketing services agency with unique digital, creative, and branding capabilities. It is an industry leader in helping clients achieve their business goals through research, market intelligence, a world class school database and multi-channel digital communities, including WeAreTeachers and EdNET. View MDR’s research reports at MDReducation.com.