Bond Issues...Keeping the Community Engaged

                Members of the community, and even district employees, have a difficult time understanding school finance and how the operating budget is created and maintained.  It becomes evident that the community should understand school finances and how money is spent, especially in the current economic climate.  This issue gets increasingly hot as an older school building is in need of repair or in need of being replaced and a bond issue is necessary for the building process.    

             Until the community understands the depth of problems faced in an older building, it is highly unlikely that those community members, especially those who may no longer have children attending the school, will see a need for it to be replaced.  Therefore, it is necessary for the school district to create a well developed plan for communicating the needs, costs, and benefits for the greater community if the project were completed.  Without this plan in place, it will be difficult for all community members to find a reason to support the project.

                A number of factors may influence the opinions of the community against the proposal.  Issues such as salaries for teachers and administrators, negative interactions with students from the school, reduction in staff, declining enrollment, political viewpoints, and previous communication/interactions with the school or district are all potential hurdles for the administration and staff to handle in preparation for suggesting a bond issue.  It becomes necessary then to counteract these potential hazards and begin creating a positive, welcoming, and demonstrated concern for the community the school serves.  Still, confusion remains regarding school finance.  This issue will also need to be addressed before a community will willingly raise property taxes or begin paying more in sales tax.

Solutions

                In order to create an environment that supports the school and the needs faced by the district, I recommend the following actions.

                First, demonstrate the need to the community for the intended improvements.  Communicate these needs in as many ways as possible.  Hold open houses for the community where information can be shared; send a newsletter to the community explaining various facets of school funding and finance; call on community leaders to tour the facility when students are there; have students or parents write to the local newspaper explaining how learning is impacted, and utilize local media such as radio and television or the school website. The focus is to garner support through demonstrating the need.  While this is being done, consider opportunities for new community partnerships and the possibility of opening the school to community organizations that could utilize the new school or space.  This should also be done to demonstrate the importance of allowing the school to be a community gathering space.

Second, create a citizen’s advisory group.  This group should be representative of as many demographic groups as possible including variations on age, race, income, and gender throughout the community the school serves.  This group will be instrumental in communicating with the public through surveys, canvassing, and assisting in the creation of recommendations brought before the community.  Though it need not be a large group, it should be clear that there is not a small group of select individuals making all of the decisions.  This group should be as well versed in the issues facing the school as the administration and staff is so it will be important for leaders to provide additional understanding of finance and public relations.  If someone in the group says or does something to upset others in the community, it may not help the intended project come to fruition.         

Third, consider other key factors that might cause the public to vote against the issue.  This is where public input will become increasingly important.  The school should communicate to the community and ask for input on the issue.  Provide opportunities for the community to view potential building locations.  If the community thinks the building will be built in an unsuitable area, they should be allowed to have their voices heard and provide options for consideration.  Demonstrate willingness to increase community usage of the school.  Providing classes in the evenings for adults, recreation programs for the community, and use of school space for community meetings and gatherings may help gain support.  If the school can be seen as a community organization, the community may be supportive of the current needs and opportunities a new building may create.  Also, consider the elderly of the community.  Many of these individuals live on a fixed income.  Therefore it becomes necessary to demonstrate the needs of today’s student and how their support can ensure a bright future for the community.  Even providing discounted admission to athletic or performing arts functions may help the elderly in the community see the school as a living place in need. 

Finally, keep the people involved in the planning and execution of the campaign and process.  If the community feels that the school/district is being open and honest, that will do more for them than if they suspect they are being presented with false information or half-truths.  Through fostering positive communication with the community, the school may see a much better result.

Will everyone be happy and vote for the proposal?  No.  Surely, some will still see the topic as a frill or unnecessary spending.  People are right to have their objections, especially since the school district is using their tax dollars.  However, getting the information to the people and remembering that this project is about the community will be essential.  The community should be viewed as our partner, not just a donor we schmooze when we need some extra cash.  If people feel like they are voting against the community, they may hesitate before they check the “no” box on the ballot.