K-12 Financing: Communicating for Success Under Today’s Intense Public Scrutiny

A K-12 school district’s funding proposal does not fail on its own. District leaders may find themselves asking why local taxpayers, parents, or the media just can’t see the obvious – that school infrastructure is aging, that education funding mechanisms are changing, that providing a quality education extends benefits to more than just those whose students attend local public schools. Still, funding measures fail time and again when districts do not clearly communicate those circumstances and how their proposal would address them. Without effective outreach, those proposals fall prey to misunderstanding and misinformation. In this video, you will learn how successfully making the case to stakeholders can make the difference for your organization.

In March 2017, following two failed funding measures the previous year, Menlo Park City School District passed a local funding measure in Menlo Park, CA. The school district achieved 79% approval of its parcel tax measure after increasing and improving its public engagement to help demonstrate the district's need, placing the proposal in greater context. Join Menlo Park City School District Chief Business and Operations Officer Ahmad Sheikholeslami as he shares how the school district rebounded following its previous failed funding measures to approach passing its latest one strategically.

In this video, you will learn how K-12 leaders have successfully leveraged technology to improve their external engagement by:

• Securing voter approval for local education funding proposals.
• Demonstrating why they are requesting additional funding.
• Alleviating concerns around how they would allocate approved funds.
• Correcting misinformation by providing correct information proactively and on demand.