Four Steps to Referendum Success

By Dave Beery, Account Manager, DehlerPR

School ballot referendums carry the power to improve learning opportunities, preserve and upgrade facilities and bolster education outcomes and community pride. As for the process of running a referendum campaign? Not so easy. But then, educational professionals are justifiably proud of doing hard things.

 “Anyone who’s conducted a referendum campaign knows that it can be grueling,” says Scott Robison, superintendent (retired), Zionsville Community Schools (IN). “But a well-conceived and implemented campaign that meets community needs is well worth the effort.”

With this in mind, school districts invariably seek community approval only for sound reasons. Some need renovation and upgrades to aging structures. Some need new construction for growing enrollments. Some need support for district operations or to renew expiring operating funds. Still others are recalculating long-term needs and funding sources in response to harmful state legislative actions.

No matter what the precise circumstances, public schools are most likely to earn community support and related referendum success by following these four basic steps.

Community Engagement:

Prior to Zionsville’s 2019 bond and operating levy referendum, Robison spent months educating community members about enrollment that was outgrowing facilities, and a corresponding increase in operations expense. “In the day-to-day business of directing a school district, with countless details to oversee and occasional fires to put out, it’s easy to put community engagement on the back burner,” says Robison. “Don’t do it. Talking with and listening to your stakeholders benefits everyone involved whether there’s a ballot question in your near future or not.” 

The health of schools and the communities they serve are so closely tied that ongoing two-way communication yields dividends for all, no matter what. In the context of a referendum, community engagement means starting long before election day: presenting your district’s situation and needs, soliciting feedback on solution options, hosting Q&A sessions and utilizing multiple communication platforms throughout the process. In addition, school districts that refine their ballot questions by conducting community surveys and adjusting their ask accordingly improve their chance of success. An opinion survey is an important tool to understand what your community can afford. It can also help identify messages that resonate with community members … as well as ones that don’t.

And don’t forget the importance of inside-out communication. Engaging first with staff means building internal support and developing a team of ambassadors for the effort.

Good Project:

“The hallmark of a good plan,” says Jeff Dehler, APR, of DehlerPR, a communications and strategic counsel consultant, “is a project that addresses a clear need, is not bloated with ‘luxury’ items, and is affordable – in other words,  within the tax tolerance of the community.” 

Give community members a reason to vote yes. Administrators and school boards understand their needs because they’re immersed in the details; most community members are not. Voters in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township (IN) approved a referendum in 2019.  “We intentionally made sure that all schools, students and families benefited from the referendum,” Shawn Smith, Lawrence Township Schools  superintendent stated. “We couldn’t afford to leave anyone out.”

Polls are relentlessly consistent in reporting that Americans are feeling economic anxiety. Against this backdrop, it’s important that schools ask for what they need and not necessarily what they would ideally like. There’s no guarantee that even the most thoughtfully designed ballot question will win, but presenting voters a demonstrably fact-supported, need-based case improves the odds.

Good District Story:

Every district has its points of pride - elements that set it apart. In building a referendum campaign, it’s important to incorporate these elements. How will voter approval enhance the district’s strengths or facilitate new and valuable learning opportunities? How will it all further benefit the community? Summarize these in a Fast Facts sheet as the foundation of consistently communicated information. Social media posts, parent newsletter items, videos and more provide a consistent telling of the story. Building a robust referendum website and providing a Q&A page with consistently updated responses establishes transparency and builds trust.

“We know that different members of our communities get information from different sources,” says Dehler. “And that people need to see messages multiple times before they sink in. Repurpose your messages across multiple communications platforms. It saves you time, keeps your messages consistent, and makes it more likely messages will reach the intended audience.”

Committed Advocates:

It’s one thing to hear school administrators, board members or staff make the case for a referendum; it’s another to hear committed advocates from elsewhere in the community. While district leaders are closest to the situation, need and facts, third-party endorsements can prove invaluable because of their independence.

While districts are generally prohibited from advocating for referendum passage, they can - and should - identify and support committed volunteers. Often with assistance from a third party advisor, these volunteers – typically  key opinion leaders with a pulse on the community – can establish a budget, raise funds, identify “yes” voters and help get these individuals to the polls. 

Where do outside advisors come in?

Third-party public relations professionals such as DehlerPR can provide a significant boost throughout the referendum process: from applying their familiarity with such tasks as community surveys and forums to helping establish effective and consistent messaging to providing support for both the district and its advocates. All of which allows the district to maintain its everyday functions, which do not vanish simply because there’s much more additional work at hand.