News SPECIAL REPORT
School Districts Rely on Voters to Expand Transportation Budgets
WRITTEN BY JULIE METEA E
lection Day can be brutal or blissful, depending on the end results for candidates and referendum proponents. During the Oct. 10 elections, two Oklahoma school dis- tricts experienced very different outcomes on bond issue
proposals for transportation. Brutal was the news for the Macomb School District, a small com- munity outside of Oklahoma City. Ninety-nine voters, or 55 percent, approved a proposal seeking $250,000 to purchase three new school buses. However, the measure failed to meet the state’s supermajority requirement of 60 percent for passage. An accompanying $1.6 million bond proposition to fund a new cafeteria and tornado safe room also failed. Voters decided the issues weren’t worth a 24-percent increase in property taxes next year. About 150 miles away, the Owasso Public Schools district celebrated the historic passage of a $57 million school bond issue by an overwhelming 77-percent margin. It will cover construction of a new elementary school and high school science room in addi- tion to 12 other improvements, including $2 million for student transportation needs. “While the state of Oklahoma is currently in a difficult situation in regards to school funding, the Owasso com- munity once again has shown tremendous support for education. We are grateful for the great turnout and the strong support,” said Superintendent Dr. Clark Ogilvie.
BE IN IT TO WIN IT
As compelling as student safety is, districts know too well that local bonds singularly focused on one topic, like transportation, are not always a strong enough reason to guarantee an election victory. In recent years, communities have tended to support technology up- grades for schools, especially for STEM, which is viewed as essential in preparing students for 21st century careers, according to Clifford Moss, a consultant practice in Oakland, California that helps build public and private support for ballot measures. While there is no “cookie cutter” way to strategically win an election, school districts must evaluate their own needs, assess the electorate sentiment and develop a strategy to communicate and involve voter groups in the issues. Referendums could include new transportation technologies, especially in high school and community college measures where “training the future workforce” provides a key theme in campaigns. “If transportation or bus purchases are part of your need equation, make it personal for your community,” said Amanda Clifford, vice president at Clifford Moss. “Some communities need more time than others. Give your effort enough time to not only
24 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2017
communicate, but especially to engage and listen to people. Tey will support what they help create.”
TECHNOLOGY DRIVES BUSING UPGRADES IN OKLAHOMA Another Oklahoma district, Muskogee Public Schools, used technology four years ago to gain voter approval on two bond issues totaling about $50 million for building renovations, new laptops for middle and high school students, and new school buses. Te campaign centered on the New Tech Academy at Alice Rob-
ertson Junior High, a new building featuring high-tech classrooms and science labs that run on solar and wind power. Te district held town hall meetings for the town’s 40,000 residents to present the plans and answer questions. Pamphlets introduced voters to building features, the curriculum and opportunities for hands-on experiences. Within two years after passage, the center opened for the 2015-2016 school year with core classes for 200 middle school students. School transportation rode the coattails of that success, receiving $2 million for a mix of 15 new minibuses for special education students and full-size buses, plus updated digital camera systems. In addition to the public funding, the district had to meet its budget by trimming operations and implementing a half-mile rule walking distance to determine bus ridership. A new routing system, installed this year, also helped to further cut expenses through efficiencies. “It’s challenging to get communities to pass bond proposals, and for us to survive,” said Brad Smythe, Muskogee’s school transpor- tation director. “A bond issue only for buses would have failed. We did it on technology and the new tech academy. Our campaign was grass roots, and it worked.”
Muskogee, Oklahoma’s school transportation operation purchased new buses, including these Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2s, with funding from bond issue proposals that emphasized the benefits of technology.
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