This study examined strategies that could assist public school administrators and school boards with the passage of bond issues. It specifically looked at such issues as the time of year that an issue was presented to voters, the nexus between community relations and successful passage, and leadership structure of bond campaigns. A survey…

Presents basic legal issues fundamental to revenue bonds (bonds secured by pledging only the revenues from the facility for the payment of the principal and interest on the bonds) authorized for construction of college and university residence halls and provides reference to, as well as discussion of, court decisions giving specific attention to…

While new school construction bond elections for rural school districts can be difficult to pass, success is possible. This paper presents one superintendent's effective campaign to build a $4.2 million elementary school within a rural community. It reveals the need to continually reinforce the message of committing to educational quality combined…

Asserting that school district officials facing the need of extensive capital expenditures must analyze all sources of funding, this paper focuses on the predominant local funding mechanism of the school district bond issue. It presents a bond rating model with three separate stages that relate to the different choices facing a school district…

School district bond ratings, issued on request by Standard and Poor's Corporation or Moody's Investors Service, hold implications for school districts' financial management. Ultimately, the bond rating assigned is a factor affecting the total cost of the bond issuance, related to the principal and interest payments over the life of the debt. A…

A study was undertaken to explore the power structure in a Southwestern community of 93,000 and to determine which elements in that power structure had the most influence in a local school bond referendum. The data for the study were collected using two techniques. First, a panel of knowledgeable community members identified 85 politically…

The private corporation leasing arrangement, as a source of school construction funds, is increasingly being used in Indiana; however, the principles are applicable in any state. The private corporation charges a project fee, which represents its maximum anticipated profit. The private corporation obtains the funds for the project; makes the…

The ballot, as a device to communicate to the government by citizens, is perceived to be much more effective in some settings--the direct question in a local election--and less effective in others--the major questions and primary offices in a national election. Such political facts of life are part of the resurging interest in the referendum as a…

This study was initiated to investigate the relationship between voters' socioeconomic and attitudinal characteristics and their behavior in school district financial referenda. Using a survey instrument developed through pilot study application and factor analysis techniques, data were collected from 1,030 registered voters in three Kansas school…

Like many other Central Florida districts, Volusia County School District is growing rapidly, increasing by 1,500 to 2,000 students (and 60 new classrooms) per year. The area has a solid senior citizen voting block and a state tax structure based on very low property taxes, a 5 percent sales tax, and no income tax. Since state monies for new…

A school board member describes how the use of four elements helped the board win public support for a referendum that was strongly opposed by an organized, respected committee: (1) Use of the media; rather than inviting press coverage of arguments by holding large public meetings, the board held numerous small, informative meetings. In this…

A case study of school-university collaboration between Starkville School District (Mississippi) and Mississippi State University (MSU) explored the process of collaboration and the ingredients for successful implementation. MSU offered grant opportunities for university faculty to work with local school district personnel. Starkville School…

This article describes a campaign for the passage of a 1989 bond referendum for the construction of two elementary schools in rural Lunenburg County, Virginia. The article, written from the perspective of a neophyte school superintendent, offers a demographic description of the county, describes various voter groups, and provides a chronology of…

In conjunction with a bond proposal for energy related items, the North County Public Schools (Missouri) undertook the task of removing friable asbestos Missouri school district undertook the task of removing friable asbestos from schools. Specifications for asbestos abatement prepared by the district administrative office were reviewed by the…

During 1974-75, enrollment in the Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC) (Kansas City, Missouri) increased from 10,589 to more than 21,000 full- and part-time students. The Metropolitan Institute of Community Services (a college without walls) expanded from serving fewer than 2,000 students in 1973-74 to more than 16,000 in 1974-75. From MCC's…