TO DETERMINE CAUSAL FACTORS IN THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF SCHOOL BOND ELECTIONS, A STUDY WAS MADE OF SCHOOL BOND ELECTION RESULTS FROM 1960 THROUGH 1964 IN THE 209 IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAINTAINING A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE. SEVENTY-NINE PERCENT OF THE REPORTING DISTRICTS (154 OF 195 TOTAL) SUCCESSFULLY PASSED BOND ELECTIONS DURING THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. FINDINGS WERE DEVELOPED FROM A MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, AN ANALYSIS OF VOTER TURNOUT, AND A MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF 29 INDEPENDENT VARIABLES, WITH PERCENTAGE OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTE AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE. FACTORS EVALUATED INCLUDED EXISTING SITUATIONAL VARIABLES, CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOND PROPOSAL, ELECTION STRATEGY AND TIMING, COMMUNICATIONS TECHNIQUES USED, AND THE PERCEIVED REASONS FOR PASSAGE OR FAILURE OF THE BOND ISSUE. THE IMPORTANCE FOR BOND ELECTION SUCCESS OF THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PORTION OF A BOND ISSUE WAS STUDIED IN A SECONDARY PHASE OF THE ANALYSIS, THROUGH INTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SUPERINTENDENTS OF 20 OF THE 24 DISTRICTS WHERE THE BOND ISSUE WAS RELATED TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. PRIMARY FINDINGS INCLUDED--(1) MOST COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA WERE NEGATIVELY RELATED TO ELECTION SUCCESS, (2) A COMMUNITY NORM OF BOND ELECTION PASSAGE OR FAILURE APPEARED TO BE OPERATIVE, (3) DIFFERENTIATION WAS MINIMAL BETWEEN ELECTIONS FOR VOCATIONALLY RELATED PURPOSES AND THOSE FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND (4) THE LACK OF TRENDS AND SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS INDICATES THERE WAS AS MUCH VARIANCE WITHIN AS BETWEEN DISTRICTS STUDIED. (JK)