Getting the Community Involved in Creating Your Budget

1. Getting the Community Involved in Creating Your Budget Jennifer Rogers, MPA Director of Communications & PR Sarah Sant Communications Specialist

2. Learning Objectives • What you need to know as a board member • Communicating with and including: • Internal audiences • External audiences • Media • Engagement strategies

3. What you need to know • Budgets are a political process for board members; technical process for business managers. • Must be prepared to take the heat. • School boards have a duty to be accountable for, and to engage the community in, the use of public money.

4. What you need to know • When the community is engaged in the budget process, it’s more likely they will understand the financial situation facing the board and district. • Engagement equals support. • School budgets are more than financial numbers—they represent people.

5. What you to need to know • Budget process MUST include the board, administration, staff and community. • Your budget aligns your human and financial resources with your vision, goals and priorities for student achievement.

6. What you need to know • Your budget is a PR tool that tells the community the school story in dollars and cents. • You must agree on budget priorities and your budget philosophy.

7. Help Your Community Understand Where the Money Goes • Instruction • Maintenance and operations • Student services • Utilities/facilities • Executive and building-level administration • Central and business services • Board of education • Other

8. Communicating Internally • Staff view budgets as their jobs, livelihood and future. • Boards view budgets as data, a decision-making tool, statement of philosophy, accountability and a political document.

9. Communicating Internally • Arm your staff with current, reliable information. • 90 percent of all the information people receive about schools comes from school staff. • Your internal staff can influence how the community (external) receives your message.

10. Communicate Internally • Use a combination of printed, electronic and face-to-face communications to disseminate your messages. • Must ask for input. Involvement=ownership in process. • Implement a philosophy of “no surprises” during budget discussions.

11. Communicate Externally • Establish a key communicator group to communicate your district’s budget. • A key communicator group is a loose-knit panel of opinion leaders who can shape community perceptions. • Key communicator groups are faster than a grapevine, more powerful than the media, and able to shape public opinion.

12. Developing a Key Communicator Network Follow these three easy steps: 1. Identify the individuals • Mayor • City council members • Business leaders • County Commissioner • Faith-based leaders • Local business owners • Parent activists • Civic leaders

13. Developing a Key Communicator Network 2. Get them on board • Ask them to participate • Communicate format and duties • Meet with them often • Give them a contact person

14. Developing a Key Communicator Network 3. Keep them in the loop • Send information/updates weekly/monthly depending on urgency • Periodic evaluations • Good and bad news • Often ask their opinion on something • Thank them

15. Communicate Externally • Translate budget documents into other languages to meet the needs of parents. • Encourage community members to visit schools to see programs and accomplishments first-hand. • Focus on two-way, face-to-face communications.

16. Communicate Externally • Open forums and information, welcoming public meetings work best. Do away with the podium and formal “us-against-them” atmosphere. • Provide opportunities for people to offer written opinions as well as verbal content.

17. Communicate with Media • Keep the media informed. • Reporters are better able to explain decisions in context if they are aware of the circumstances facing the school board. • Reporters like local impact stories. Keep focus on students. • Simplify messages. Use per pupil $.

18. Communicate with Media • Don’t lie or hide bad news. • Communicating the bad news is difficult, but it’s important that everyone has a clear understanding of the financial situation. • Don’t paint a rosy picture if you need the community to take action. • Stick to the facts. Don’t speculate on what you don’t know.

19. Engagement Strategies • Community forums • Face-to-face meetings • Create a budget section on Web site • Include budget information in newsletters • Use key communicators • Speak at local service clubs and other groups

20. Engagement Strategies • Ask your local newspaper to write a series on your budget situation. • Submit a guest opinion to your local paper, written by your board president. • Create an easy-to-understand fact sheet about your budget. How the money comes and goes.

21. Engagement Strategies • Online surveys are an efficient way to explain budget details and enlist public comment. • Readily know spending per pupil for crucial areas such as transportation, instruction, food service, textbooks, maintenance, utilities, professional development, health care/retirement,etc.

22. Remember: • Exhibit responsible leadership by staying calm and focused on your ultimate mission—student learning and achievement. • A school’s budget process belongs to everyone.