Ignoring public relations can have devastating consequences, as one Indiana (LaPorte) district learned after a failed bond measure. School board members should cultivate local news media, ensure that schools send out regular newsletters, use free media coverage, save press conferences for significant events, move board meetings to different…

The superintendent of Coventry (Rhode Island) Schools explains how he converted annual town meetings from uncivil, interminable budget-slashing sessions to expressions of community support for student-centered reforms and a construction/renovation bond issue. The board grasped assessment difficulties by taking state-mandated tests for…

Two major concerns related to large-scale capital outlay are convincing the community of the need for the expenditure and planning for the financing of the project. In an era when the public is resisting increased taxation, school districts must develop a plan of action for soliciting funds and must be able to conduct an effective fund campaign.…