Referendum and Community Communication for School Boards
Every board I work with arrives somewhere different.
A referendum is the most public thing a school board will ever do. Everything the board has built — or failed to build — with its community shows up on that ballot.
Most failed referendums don’t fail on the merits. They fail because the board couldn’t speak with one voice, because nobody translated school finance into language a taxpayer could follow, or because a well-meaning board member blurred the line between informing voters and campaigning.
I’ve been on the winning side of that campaign. Working with two Missouri counties, I helped educate voters on a Proposition C Rollback Waiver that passed with 63% approval. What happened afterward mattered just as much: the board had authorization to raise the operating levy by 77 cents and chose to raise it by 6.5 cents instead — taking only what the district actually needed. That decision kept faith with every voter who said yes, and it made the next ask easier.
That’s the whole game. A referendum isn’t a campaign you win once. It’s a relationship you either strengthen or spend.
What We Work On
Board message discipline.
Seven members, one message. We’ll define what every board member can say, what only the superintendent should say, and what nobody should say.
Plain-English school finance.
Circuit breakers, operating referendums, capital projects, assessed value. If a board member can’t explain it at a kitchen table, it won’t survive a public meeting.
The legal line.
Indiana draws a clear boundary between a district informing voters and a district advocating a position. We’ll make sure your board knows exactly where it sits, and stays there.
Community listening before the ask.
The best referendum work starts a year before the ballot question, not eight weeks out.
After the vote.
Win or lose, the community is still there in the morning. We’ll plan for both outcomes.
Why Indiana Boards Face More Pressure Now
Recent property tax reform reshaped when and how often Indiana school corporations can go to voters. Districts now get fewer chances, which raises the stakes on every attempt; a referendum that fails means waiting years rather than months for another opportunity.
Fewer swings at the plate means each one has to count.
Common Questions
Can a school district legally campaign for its own referendum?
When should referendum planning start?
What if our referendum already failed?
That’s a governance conversation worth having. Boards that examine why honestly, rather than blaming the electorate, tend to succeed on the next attempt.
Let's Talk About Your Board
The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Tell me what's happening with your board, and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person to help.