Shortly after 2 a.m. on Nov. 10, the vote tally supporting Medford School District's $189 million bond measure moved ever so slightly from negative to positive. It never moved back.

By a razor-thin margin of 313 votes out of nearly 30,000, voters approved a massive building and renovation plan that includes two new high schools, major reconstruction of three elementary schools, and safety and security work at every school.

The Medford Mail Tribune called it a "minor miracle." But for Superintendent Phil Long, it was the next step in a comprehensive plan to reconnect with the community through a communications strategy best described as "All roads lead to Yes."

That strategy grew out of an informal meeting 14 months earlier during an OSBA negotiations workshop in Salem. District representatives met with Randall-Dixon Public Relations LLC to discuss their growing concern that recent turmoil and cutbacks would hamper budget development, contract negotiations and the critical need for a new schools. They needed strategies to address each challenge. What they developed was a single strategy for all these issues.

Key messages guide campaign

Central to the strategy was to build all communications about budgets, contracts, facilities or any other major issue around the subtext of at least one of three key objectives:

• Buildings that Work
• Students Who Succeed
• More Resources for the Classroom

Long, a veteran of the district who was in his first year as superintendent, felt there was a disconnection between the district and citizens. His suspicions were confirmed when a community-wide survey revealed that more than half the respondents did not feel they had enough information to even form an opinion about the quality of their schools or the conditions of school facilities. Clearly, the district needed to reintroduce itself to the community.

Letting voters know us

Over the next several months, the district aggressively worked to reach all segments of the community with information about how they were meeting challenges. A successful contract negotiation made it possible to adjust the budget to add staff and classroom resources. Maintenance problems in aging buildings provided an opportunity to present a positive message that tied student success to "buildings that work."

Last spring, while the district continued its "reconnection" efforts, the long-range facilities planning committee held public forums to share findings and recommendations. At each of the district's 19 schools, the citizen panel outlined district needs and focused on local problems and needs. Those school meetings, along with a community forum, generated extensive news coverage.

At that point, a second telephone survey gauged public support for a bond. Results were dramatic. Initial support was close to 60 percent. When more information about student safety, economic impact and the wisdom of the investment was provided, the support level exceeded 60 percent. While school officials and the consultants knew that early support usually declines by election day, they also knew the district had made significant progress with the community and had a real shot at passing the largest bond measure in its history.

A citizen advocacy group, Citizens for Medford School District, came together to launch its initial campaign: "Safe Kids - Sound Schools."

Another key to success was the decision to focus on a few precincts with traditionally high voter turnout, but low support for schools. Half of the group's modest budgets went into voter identification and contact within those key precincts. The remainder was devoted to traditional activities such as brochures, ads and lawn signs.

It worked. When the votes were tallied, five out of the six targeted precincts were in the positive column.