The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of public relations practitioners (i.e., communication directors) and their roles and responsibilities in New Jersey public school districts. Three research questions guided this study: (a) What are New Jersey public relations practitioners' perceptions and lived experiences related to their educational roles and responsibilities? (b) How do New Jersey public relations practitioners communicate with internal and external stakeholders? (c) How might knowing New Jersey public relations practitioners' experiences inform future practices by clarifying roles and responsibilities? Data and information for this study were primarily gathered through one-on-one semi structured interviews with 12 current New Jersey public school communication directors. Five main themes emerged through the participants' lived experiences: (a) readiness for school public relations, (b) roles and responsibilities, (c) expectations, (d) challenges, and (e) recommendations. All participants had experienced challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and public opinion. Findings from this study provided meaningful insight into how public school districts can support communication directors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]