School Tax Elections:  Winning Strategies in 250 Words #2
Laying the Foundation 2
 
Last month’s “Laying the Foundation” spotlighted a Tony Luca song, “Just hold on tight with all your might, it takes the time it takes to get it right.”  Starting your school tax election planning 15 – 18 months early provides time for key strategies that will make a difference on election day. 

Conducting a communication audit is a high-return strategy. The National School Public Relations Association recommends taking a “…snapshot of your current communication efforts, the climate for communication, the issues and image perceptions you are facing, and the communication needs of target audiences.”  The scope of the audit includes everything from your logo and tagline to print and electronic communications to social media and community engagement. A top-notch communication system is foundational in support of a successful tax election. For information go to:  https://www.nspra.org/nspra-communication-audits

A second audit focuses on dusting off (and tweaking as needed) key school board policies impacting school tax elections. Most important is your directory information policy. Some school districts identify parents’ names, addresses, and phone numbers as public data, which anyone can access (e.g., vote “yes” committee). Others restrict one or more of these important contact fields. Other policies to review include use of buildings and grounds (Can a vote “yes” committee have a table at the football game?), access to staff mailboxes, and use of a district’s auto dialing system.

A key takeaway for both audits is “earlier is better” – get them done before the spotlight is on your ballot proposal and election day.

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#1 Laying the Foundation, part 1

School Tax Elections:  Winning Strategies in 250 Words #1
​Laying the Foundation
Understanding that large ships can’t turn quickly is a common analogy used by planning consultants, warning of dire consequences of investing too little time – bad plans and worse outcomes.  Tony Lucca sings this refrain in True Story: “Just hold on tight with all of your might, it takes the time it takes to get it right.” Both put exclamation marks on a precious resource within the control of school leaders – taking the time it takes to get it right!


So, how much time is enough? Best practice would recommend 15 – 18 months. The master plan should be research-based, strategic, and include specific tasks, timelines and responsibilities.  And remember, it’s not a plan unless either on paper or your hard drive.  Fifteen to eighteen months provide time to develop and then execute the plan – time to turn the ship in a direction that moves taxpayers from where they are to where they need to be to vote “yes” to higher taxes on election day. 

Planning and executing a successful school tax election is both hard and long. Your leadership team needs to determine who internally will have primary responsibility. When superintendents assume the role of general, other leadership responsibilities need to be delegated. Likewise, if the leadership role is assigned to a subordinate, superintendents still need to stay engaged since the outcome of the tax election will be on their watch. In laying this foundation for success, remember Benjamin Franklin’s forewarning: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!"

#2 Laying the Foundation, Part 2

School Tax Elections:  Winning Strategies in 250 Words #2
Laying the Foundation 2
 
Last month’s “Laying the Foundation” spotlighted a Tony Luca song, “Just hold on tight with all your might, it takes the time it takes to get it right.”  Starting your school tax election planning 15 – 18 months early provides time for key strategies that will make a difference on election day. 

Conducting a communication audit is a high-return strategy. The National School Public Relations Association recommends taking a “…snapshot of your current communication efforts, the climate for communication, the issues and image perceptions you are facing, and the communication needs of target audiences.”  The scope of the audit includes everything from your logo and tagline to print and electronic communications to social media and community engagement. A top-notch communication system is foundational in support of a successful tax election. For information go to:  https://www.nspra.org/nspra-communication-audits.

A second audit focuses on dusting off (and tweaking as needed) key school board policies impacting school tax elections. Most important is your directory information policy. Some school districts identify parents’ names, addresses, and phone numbers as public data, which anyone can access (e.g., vote “yes” committee). Others restrict one or more of these important contact fields. Other policies to review include use of buildings and grounds (Can a vote “yes” committee have a table at the football game?), access to staff mailboxes, and use of a district’s auto dialing system.

A key takeaway for both audits is “earlier is better” – get them done before the spotlight is on your ballot proposal and election day.