Last night, Romeo Community Schools bid to bond $93 million for capital improvements failed when the people voted it down. The tally was 2095-3323. A couple of weeks ago I posted about why I thought it was a crazy bond.
Let me outline 3 reasons Romeo’s school bond failed:
- Bad Marketing: It’s impossible to convince the public that they need to spend $93 million with projections and statistics. People respond emotionally to educational issues.
- Bad Marketing: Using district employees as agents of propaganda causes suspicion. It was clear that the district was using district funds and man hours to promote the bond. Did teachers really need to write hand-written appeals? Did wasting teachers work hours demonstrate that the district would manage more money better? I think not.
- Bad Marketing: We have a community full of Bear Market types right now. Asking people in a Bear mindset to spend $93 million is a joke.
Let me list three marketing ideas for the next time this bond comes to a vote: (Because it will)
- Appeal to people’s emotions. Show us the opportunities our children are missing as a result of inadequate school space.
- Hire consultants to market the bond. No tally of wasted district money will ever be done… but I would guess that if they would divert $100,000 to hiring a marketer to do grassroots marketing instead of having the Administration and teachers talk up the bond would get it passed.
- Tell people the truth. Show them a bargain. Show them that we could spend $150 million but we can only afford $93 million. Make us think it’s conservative to bond that amount of money.
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