School districts and community colleges

Facility bonds, parcel taxes, and any other measure that needs voter approval, built around real needs. We’ve worked with districts large and small, in every kind of community, across the country.

Talk with us about your district

Where districts usually are when they call

  • A growing list of needs Repairs, safety upgrades, crowded classrooms, or programs at risk. You may not know yet what kind of measure fits, and that’s a good time to call.

  • A measure nearing its end Bond, levy, or local tax, voters want to see what it paid for before they renew it.

  • A measure that fell short We find out what held voters back and whether a different proposal, amount, or election date gives the next one a better chance.

  • Shaken public trust After leadership changes, a budget fight, or a hard moment on campus, trust comes before any measure. We help rebuild it.

Measures we work on for districts

  • School facility bonds

  • Community college bonds

  • Parcel taxes for programs and staff

  • Operating levies and levy overrides

  • Mill levy overrides

  • Capital, technology, and safety levies

  • Building fund and sinking fund measures

  • School sales taxes

  • Transportation and bus replacement levies

  • Teacher and staff compensation measures

  • Early childhood and preschool funding

  • Renewals and extensions

  • Any other tax or bond that needs voter approval

Who we work with

  • Superintendents and cabinets

  • Chief business officials

  • Boards of trustees

  • Your bond counsel and financial advisor

How we help a district

Feasibility

Interviews with parents, staff, business owners, and community leaders, plus public opinion research from our in-house, award-winning polling team. We test the project list against what voters care about most. We also look at election trends and what else is likely to be on the ballot, so the board can choose the right election, project list, and amount. See how a feasibility study works, or start with our guide, How to Pass a School Bond.

Measure development

We work with your staff and outside counsel to build the measure: the ballot question, supporting materials, and presentations to the board. Decades of work with public officials and county election offices help keep every step on schedule, from the board vote to the filing deadline.

Community engagement

Fact sheets, FAQs, mailers, and presentations to community groups, all written and produced in house. We also handle media relations and crisis communications, and we brief staff on what they can and can’t say about the measure.

Campaign

Parents, teachers, and local leaders often form a committee to support the measure. We can run that campaign too: fundraising, endorsements, ballot arguments for the voter guide, advertising, yard signs, door knocking, texting, debate prep, and more.

Relevant case studies

School facilities measure

Turning Concern into Commitment

A chemical leak at a school months before a district's facilities measure. Crisis communication and parent listening sessions came first, then the measure.

Passed School district

Crisis in Confidence

Leadership turnover and budget questions had parents tuning out. Regular briefings, simpler budget reporting, and a clear press protocol.

Parent trust scores up 25 percent

  • Ideally while the facilities plan or budget picture is still taking shape. That leaves time to research, adjust the project list, and choose the right election.

  • Yes. They handle the legal and financial structure. We handle the research, community engagement, and communication, and keep everyone working from the same plan.

  • Yes. We’ve worked with more than 250 clients in 26 states, from small towns to major metros, and ballot measures are the center of our practice. Our team is remote, with roots on the East and West Coasts.

  • We’ve helped local communities raise more than $8.5 billion. On measures where we handle both the public and the private campaign, our win rate is 97.8 percent.

  • One lead who knows your district and coordinates everything, backed by our in-house team for public opinion research, community engagement, measure development, and campaign work. Your staff won’t be passed between vendors.

  • Yes. Our public opinion research comes from our in-house, award-winning polling team, so the people who design your survey also help you act on the results.

  • We’ll tell you. If the research says wait, we say wait, and we explain what would need to change before going to voters.

Questions districts ask us

Planning a bond, tax, or other measure?

Tell us where your district is in the process. Early is the best time to call.

Get in touch