Bend-La Pine School District's tax base allowed for a very low bond rate for its proposed $119 million bond for new schools and necessary upgrades. At only 53 cents per $1,000 and with previous bonds set to retire, the district could have sat back and assumed the bond would pass based on its good value and common sense.

But although favorable bond rates were a definite advantage in this election, district staff, board members and supporters refused to leave anything to chance, said Assistant Superintendent John Rexford. And their hard work paid off with 60 percent voter approval - the biggest successful margin in this election for a large school district.

We drove home the fact that our community could build new schools and extend the life of their existing schools without raising their current tax rate.
John Rexford, Bend-LaPine Assistant Superintendent

Passage of the bond was owed to three powerful factors: need, support and planning. With enrollment growth of more than 58 percent over the past 15 years (projected to continue), new classrooms were a priority. In addition, aging buildings needed major upgrades.

This bond will add three new schools, expand two elementary schools and pay for more than 170 projects to replace or upgrade roofs, lighting, security systems and flooring.

The entire bond-planning process included widespread community support that started with a community-based sites and facilities committee that helped narrow the original project list from about 500 projects.

About a year before the election, the campaign began educating voters and staff about the need for the bond. Rexford said that the message to the community remained clear, concise and consistent for over a year.

A large volunteer base and key volunteers in leadership roles relied on internal and external communications plans to achieve its goal. The advocacy group raised $53,000 from business leaders, parents and staff.

The campaign kicked off in February 2006 with a voter survey to help guide campaign efforts and gauge community support.

Volunteer teams were formed to focus on fundraising, a speakers' bureau, events and outreach. The advocacy efforts complemented the district's informational campaign, which included a strong internal and external plan.

District staff members distributed informational materials with updates on the bond request and the need for new schools and upgrades. They joined volunteers at community presentations to groups and in booths at community events. They produced an informational video that ran regularly on a local cable channel.

Information was also posted at each school to show parents and neighbors projects planned for their school.

"These efforts really helped increase interest and excitement about how the community could help relieve overcrowding, repair broken gym floors and leaky roofs and provide the environment our students need to learn and thrive," said Rexford.

Events created a festive atmosphere around the measure. A root-beer-float social highlighted the final push in the fall, timed to ensure that local television stations could reach viewers with live reports from the event.

Some non-traditional outreach efforts included a piece that operated like a virus to spread the "Vote yes" message from person to person through e-mail.

In all efforts, the key message stayed the same.

"We drove home the fact that our community could build new schools and extend the life of their existing schools without raising their current tax rate," said Rexford. "I believe this was one of the key reasons our bond passed the first time out."