A Guide to Passing Your School Bond
Passing a bond or referendum for school improvements requires thoughtful planning, collaboration, and active community engagement. Here’s a guide to help you mobilize your community and secure support for your proposal.
1. Establish a Steering Committee
Start by creating a steering committee that represents a broad spectrum of your community. The committee should include:
One to three board members
Two to three district administrators
Two to three staff members
Four to six parents
Six to eight community members (e.g., businesspeople, farmers, clergy, seniors)
Appoint a respected community member as the chairperson, such as a long-serving board member or a notable local business leader. This chairperson will collaborate with an architect to lead the committee and ensure a balanced representation of community interests.
2. Assess District Needs
Select an architect to conduct a thorough evaluation of the district’s facilities, gathering essential information on each building and site. They will prioritize needs into categories: immediate (in the next two years), short-term (in three to five years), mid-term (in five to 10 years), and long-term (in 10 or more years).
If you’re planning for a bond that is still a few years away, consider preparing by capturing your assets with GIS. This will allow you to prioritize your needs based on business risk.
3. Develop Plans and Renderings
Based on the identified needs, the architect creates multiple facility improvement options. These options should be presented to the steering committee for feedback, allowing for refinement and cost estimation. The architect then can provide detailed site concepts, floor plans, and 3D renderings to help the committee and community visualize the proposed changes.
4. Engage the Community
Before finalizing the bond plan, seek input from the broader community through various engagement methods, such as town hall meetings, focus groups, and well-designed online surveys. Your architect can assist in facilitating these sessions to ensure comprehensive community participation, including multilingual support if needed.
5. Finalize the Bond Proposal
Incorporate community feedback to shape the final bond or referendum proposal. Leading up to the vote date, be sure to allow sufficient time for school board approval and submission to state authorities. The architect will assist in preparing the necessary documents for preliminary qualification.
6. Community and Informational Campaigns
Once the proposal has been approved, it’s time to rally community support. The steering committee will form the backbone of a community campaign, recruiting a diverse range of additional members to ensure effective communication across different community groups.
To reach the entire community, use a combination of communication strategies:
Personal outreach through conversations
Social media engagement
Presence at community events (e.g., festivals, school events)
Distribution of informational materials via mail and online platforms
Hosting coffees, breakfasts, and luncheons
At the same time as the community campaign, the district should run an informational campaign. This effort will highlight the critical facility needs and the benefits of the proposed improvements. While an informational campaign can’t ask the community how to vote, it can spread the word about your bond proposal via a webpage, community forums, and many other communication channels.
Collaboration, clear communication, and practical planning are key to passing your bond or referendum and achieving your district’s goals. Above all, remember to engage your community early and often to show that your district is transparent and working hard to support your students.
