League of Education Voters School Levy and Bond Library

An important part of any campaign is preparing the informational materials that will be distributed to voters.  These pieces can be passed out at events, distributed by the Speakers’ Bureau, given to supporters to distribute to their clubs, neighbors, and friends, given to the press, mailed to possible funders, posted on your campaign website, etc.

What informational pieces do we need?

There are a few basic pieces that you will need as a campaign.  These pieces can then be adapted for various situations as needed.  They do not need to be glossy, expensive pieces, just well-produced, accurate, and easy to understand.

Pieces you will need:

• Persuasive one-page fact sheet
• Persuasive question and answer piece
• Persuasive one to two paragraph newsletter article
• Neutral one to two paragraph newsletter article
• Factual information pieces produced by your school district

Note:  It is very important to be aware of the kind of materials you use and where you use them.  Persuasive materials intended to convince the voter of your position may not be created or distributed using school facilities, staff, or time.  This includes the parent newsletter if it is delivered by teachers to children or parents.  Factual, non-persuasive materials may be distributed using school facilities, staff, or time.  Groups may include persuasive pieces in materials created and distributed using the group’s funds and facilities- persuasive pieces may be passed out at group meetings (even on school property) or mailed home.

Persuasive one-page fact sheet

This piece will likely be your most important handout.  It can be handed out by the Speakers’ Bureau, given to other supportive groups to distribute to their members, included in requests for donations. 

It should include a few pieces of key information, plus some messages to persuade voters.  These can include:

• date of the election (required)
• what the levy or bond will pay for (teachers, books, athletics, etc.)
• why these are important  (the levy helps keep class size down)
• tax rate (the levy rate is just under $1.50 per $1,000 assessed property value; your tax rate will go down!)
• percentage of the overall budget the levy represents (20% of the day to day budget; 1 out of every 5 teachers are hired using levy dollars)
• if the tax is a renewal (this is not a new tax, it is simply a renewal of an expiring  of a tax you are already paying)
• examples of fiscal responsibility (the buildings built with the last bond were on time and on budget)
• comparison of levy rates between school districts
• information about how to volunteer or donate to the campaign

Not all this information needs to go on every piece you create.  Assess what will be relevant to your community.

The layout of the piece should be easy to read and not too wordy.  Large sections of text are difficult to digest.  Instead, smaller sections of text in an outline format is a good way to present the information.  Remember, it is not necessary to include all possible information.  Include just a few key pieces that will persuade a general audience.

Persuasive question and answer piece

Like the persuasive one-page fact sheet, this document is intended to convince voters to support your levy or bond.  A question and answer, or Q & A, however, includes more information than is needed in a one-page fact sheet.  This is piece designed to answer the most commonly asked questions about your levy or bond.  Below are some common questions addressed in Q & A’s.  Of course, there may be some questions specific to your community that should be included.  There are additional samples in the Levy Library.

• What is on the ballot?
• What is the operational levy?
• What will I have to pay?
• How is each operational levy dollar spent?
• Isn’t basic education funded by the state?
• What evidence is there that the District is spending tax dollars wisely?
• Don’t administration costs keep dollars from going to the classroom?
• Will these school levies increase my tax rate?
• How does this school levy tax rate (operating and capital levies combined) compare to other communities?
• If the assessed valuation of my house increases, does the district get more money?
• Are seniors and disabled citizens exempt from special levies?
• How much is lost in federal and state matching funds if the levy fails?
• Didn’t we just pass two initiatives in 2000 to boost spending on public education?
• What is the organization behind the levy?
• What percent of the vote do the ballot measures require to pass?
• What time are the polls open on?
• Can I vote by mail?
• How can I register to vote?

This Q& A can be used by a Speakers’ Bureau, posted on a campaign website, used by phone bank members, and kept on hand at events.  It is not necessary or recommended to distribute this piece as widely as the one page fact sheet.

Persuasive one to two paragraph newsletter article

There may be opportunities to put information about the levy or bond in a community group newsletter or newspaper.  For this purpose, prepare a one to two paragraph persuasive article that can be distributed to PTA/PTO’s, local newspapers, and community groups.  Some samples are included in the Levy Library.

Neutral one to two paragraph newsletter article

For newsletters distributed using school resources, like parent letters delivered using teachers, create a factual, non-persuasive one to two paragraph article that can be distributed.

Factual information pieces produced by your school district

School districts themselves can and should distribute materials they create about the levy or bond that are factual and non-persuasive.  Information produced by the district should include all the same information included in the fact sheet created by the campaign, and should be made widely available to interested voters. 

The school district can create:

• Fact sheets
• Question and Answer pieces
• Informational posters
• Informational newsletters
• Informational videos
• Informational web pages
• Surveys of district needs
• School board letters to parents and community members
• Superintendent letters to parents and community members
• Voter registration information
• Other factual materials

Materials created by the school district may be distributed by the campaign.  However, the school district should not distribute materials created by the campaign.

Note:  School district staff, including teachers and administrators, may volunteer their time and expertise to the campaign during non-work hours.  Any time contributed to the campaign should be after work hours or during breaks, and should not be on school district property.