MOST PUBLIC SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUMS IN TEXAS PASS!
Did You know that most public school bond referendums in Texas PASS? Though the electorate represented by independent school district communities is becoming ever more sophisticated and informed, they are also beginning to connect the appropriate dots:
- Good schools = prepared students = good property values.
- Bad schools = substandard education = declining property values. That is an economic reason a bond referendum may be supported.
But what about the legacy-building characteristic of a community that supports its students and its schools? The dots around those lines can be blurred to many. Typically, a bond committee may not think of their work as paying it forward. They may be too consumed with the projects, the financial stewardship with which they have been entrusted, and the impact on property taxes they are considering to realize that they are part of a visionary history on the parts of citizens who made those same tough decisions in the past—decisions that either positively or negatively impacted generations in their communities. Or they may be aware of the eroding impact of neglect of facilities and an unwillingness to provide for future students because of the cost. And there is always a cost.
THE COST OF NEGLECT OR THE COST OF COURAGE
In many school districts, there are three options:
- Keep a competitive edge for students and teachers by funding through bonds necessary and prudent projects and facilities
- Propose “maintenance bonds” that allow a school district to “get by” without providing for innovation, growth, or capital improvements to facilities and programs
- Do nothing. A bond committee may choose any one of the three, but they cannot dictate the consequences of those choices and the impact on their schools and their community
Public School Bond Referendums; ELIMINATE THE ROADBLOCKS
Helping a community bond committee come to a consensus on the path they will choose for a district has inherent risks. The committee could choose #3. A great deal of attention and pre-planning is necessary to assure an informed and educated committee who will seriously consider the needs of a school district. That planning must be intentional, strategic, proven and adaptable. The communication must be equitable and uniform. No voice should be silenced. The stakes are too high to simply “give it a try” and risk an unsuccessful bond because consensus could not be achieved. “A happy committee yields a successful bond.”