It's in the the Money! Tips for Passing School Bonds

Tips for Passing a School Bond Issue

Passage of school bond issues is often vital to the growth and sustainability of school districts. Though specific battle plans for informing a community about the importance of passing your bond issue vary greatly, there are several points to keep in mind while working on your bond issue.

1.      The passage of a bond issue often hinges on the public’s perception of your school district. It is important for schools to keep the citizens informed and to maintain an outstanding reputation within the community.

2.      When you are deciding what to include in the bond issue, it is important to keep in mind those projects which the electorate is willing to pay for as well as the district’s most pressing needs. The best way to get a gauge of the public’s support for specific items in the bond issue is to conduct polls of the electorate. Sometimes it is best to drop a couple of items from the bond issue if those items will cause the bond issue to fail to pass.

3.      A school district’s financial responsibility should be a major point in your marketing. The electorate is much more likely to vote yes on a bond issue if your school district has a history of sound financial practices.

4.      Avoid in-fighting among schools at all costs. The best way to do this is to make sure each school knows exactly how much money they will get before the bond issue is being considered

5.      Focus on those who support the bond issue rather than those who oppose it. Studies have shown that it is very difficult to change someone’s mind about the benefits of more money for schools. One of the keys to passing a school bond issue is to make sure your supporters turn out on election day. Conventional wisdom say to try to connect with your supports three to four times before election day to insure they will show up at the polls.