This document has been formatted for printing from your browser from the Web site of the Illinois Association of School Boards.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE -- This document is © copyrighted by the Illinois Association of School Boards. IASB hereby grants to school districts and other Internet users the right to download, print and reproduce this document provided that (a) the Illinois Association of School Boards is noted as publisher and copyright holder of the document and (b) any reproductions of this document are disseminated without charge and not used for any commercial purpose.
Illinois School Board Journal
January-February 2001
Is your district ready for a referendum?
by Linda Dawson
The financial or capital improvement needs in your district may seem obvious to you as a school board member, but to stage a successful referendum campaign, the board must convey those needs to the community. One way to determine if you are on the right track is to stage the Illinois Association of School Boards' "The Successful School Finance Referendum -- A School Board Challenge" simulation.
The simulation, created by IASB field service directors John Cassel and Joan Isenberg, is based on an actual building bond referendum in Glen Ellyn SD 41. The campaign is described as "a textbook example of what brings a community to the support of school financial needs."
The simulation, which can be conducted by the board as a whole or with smaller groups of board members working as teams, lists 15 major activities typically involved in a successful referendum campaign. The activities are listed in random order and are designed for transfer to 3x5 cards. The cards are then arranged in the order of when each activity should first occur.
The list includes activities related to assessment, announcements, publicity, recruitment and recognition, among others. While some activities are ongoing and others are repeated, the simulation seeks to define the proper order of these activities to maximize community support for the issue.
Each participant is given a set of activity cards. Once the activities have been put in a sequential order, the lists can be compared with other team members to create a team list. Then the team sequence is compared to the "recommended plan."
In addition to giving board members an opportunity to review many of the steps necessary in the referendum process, the simulation also facilitates under- standing of the group process, fosters teamwork and points out strengths and weaknesses of the board's function.
To obtain a copy of the simulation, contact IASB at 630/629-3776.