This past spring I was fortunate enough to work with two different school districts on successful bond campaigns. Prior to stepping out into the consultant world as Write Team Services I had been in the trenches on two bond campaigns in Marshall ISD. The first of course failed, but then we got new schools and upgraded facilities for MISD students with passage of the rerun the following year.
With a proverbial knock on wood, since that disappointing defeat in 2014, I have not actively worked on a school bond campaign that failed. Part of that is that I have worked with a great team of educators, community volunteers, and fellow consultants. The other part is that most of the communities where we have worked, the need for new school facilities and capital projects has been overwhelming. The garden has been ripe in those areas, so to speak, for success.
However, the anti-tax political machine in Texas has been tough to overcome, even in areas where the need is great and obvious. Most hard-working citizens don't want to pay more taxes -- and I'm raising my hand here as well. Who wants to pay more money on top of the money we already have to pay, especially to a government that has a long, long track record of terrible stewardship of that money. That's putting it mildly, but that's also another topic for another time.
The anti-tax side of the ballot isn't held to any standard of proof, which is a nice way to say they can say whatever they want and it doesn't have to be the truth. The sky is purple, they say, all you have to do is look. We all can look and plainly see a clear blue sky -- but you'd be shocked to know how many people think they may actually see shades of purple in the blue, enough shade to make them think the purple sky watchers are on to something.
Then, if you are not careful, you spend all your time on the school side trying to convince someone that a blue sky is indeed a blue sky, and the purple is just their imagination. Then you end up wondering why we lost an election with a clear, blue sky because you yourself spent the entire campaign trying to make blue out of purple -- when it was all blue in the first place.
That's a long explanation of saying that many school districts and communities get lost in the weeds trying to convince a "hard no" voter to "maybe" vote yes, when all along the path to success is clearly all about identifying who your true "yes" voters are, and making sure those people go and vote. That's how you win bond elections, or any kind of election, actually.
Don't debate someone whether or not a blue sky is purple.
Seven bond campaigns since that loss in 2014, and we have seen seven outstanding election days. Seven different school districts have been able to provide their students and communities with modern, safe, upgraded educational and extracurricular facilities because we follow that formula -- identify who your supporters are, provide them with the factual information they need to be an informed, educated voter, and make sure they go to the polls and vote.
If your school district announces a bond proposal in the next few months, I encourage you to be one of those informed voters. I encourage you to actually look and see if the sky is indeed blue, and then when you see that it is, take that as a fact. Don't let the purple-sky people convince you that what you are seeing with your own eyes is a mirage.
Yes, be aware of any potential tax increases, and ask questions of your local school officials as to what all of that means for you. Indeed, there are some projects around the state that may not be necessary, and as with any type of civic or school election, be sure you are learning all you need to know about a specific proposal.
However, because of the exploding growth in many rural and suburban districts in the state, and proper financial management of debt on the school district's books, many bond elections are proposed with zero tax rate increase. Notice I said zero tax rate increase; which doesn't necessarily mean your taxes won't go up when those bills come in the mail. It just means they won't go up with a rate increase levied by the school district. But if your property value goes up, well, simple math tells us that the tax will go up even if the rate at which it is charged remains the same.
But a zero tax rate increase means the school district can fund all the proposed projects by not asking you to pay more with things it can control. It also means your community is thriving and growing, which also should be a welcome thing.
The best bond campaign I know is to start building trust before a bond is ever proposed. At Write Team Services, I work with all my school clients to build trust and transparency with their stakeholders year-round, so when that trust is tested, you have a track record of proven transparency. People may not agree with you on some issues, but if they trust you, they are more inclined to follow along a path they may not completely see yet.
On the flip side, I encourage anyone to get to know your school district administration and let them know you support them and also will hold them accountable. The goal of any school district should be to provide what is best for its students -- and that includes everything in a proposed bond project. Sometimes, the adults forget that a school exists for the education of every student that walks through its doors, not necessarily the guaranteed satisfaction of the adults.
The more you know someone, the more you will know when they are telling you the truth. That is part of being an informed voter, on any issue. School bond issues are no different.
Data has shown that despite all the political hand-wringing and angry shouting and name-calling from the rooftops, bond elections by and large pass in Texas. And usually, the bigger the bond, the more chance there is for success. This is the case in what is still one of the most red of the red states in the USA.
That gives me hope there is still enough support for public schools in Texas to create a bright future for our students. The politicians and purple-sky people aren't making things easy, for sure.
We just have to all make sure we stay focused on that big, beautiful, sunny blue sky.
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