Golden Medallion Award Entry Bond/Finance Campaign Educational Excellence: It’s In Your Hands

Synopsis Minnetonka’s 2015 Referendum relied on critical research and community engagement to inform leadership decisions regarding two referendum questions: the renewal and increase for the district’s annual operating levy and the renewal of the technology-capital projects annual levy. Together, the ballot questions would generate $19 million annually for ten years. The referendum communication plan—before, during and after the election—leveraged fifteen years of relationship and trust building around the District’s vision for world-class excellence and using technology as an accelerator of learning. The plan included:

o High-quality formal and informal, primary and secondary research o Formal employee and community surveys o Online parent survey, with qualitative analysis of customer insights and issues o Engagement of key influencers regarding the referendum amounts and issue framing o Database analysis o Analysis of past referendum campaigns o Analysis of district spending and finance comparables o Analysis of 2002 and 2007 campaigns, along with contentious 2009, 2011 and 2013

School Board election issues o Secondary analysis of 2014 school referendum campaigns in area districts

o Strategic planning, issues anticipation, message development, priming and personal outreach o Communication tactics included media relations, web, social media, video, print, direct-mail,

face-to-face meetings, feedback channels and events o Leveraged all existing communication channels to reinforce District’s informational campaign o A privately-funded and community-led grassroots advocacy campaign with hundreds of

volunteers o Ongoing evaluation and issues monitoring o Post-campaign evaluation and communication

The challenges of this campaign included: o Creating a sense of urgency because the existing funding did not expire until 2017, there was no

immediate need or consequence. They district was responsible in planning ahead. o Setting an acceptable amount for the ballot question required community engagement, public

opinion research and an extended deliberation.

Both referendum questions passed, gaining 72% voter-approval on each question—the highest in district history.

SUMMARY 2015 Operating and Technology Referenda Minnetonka Public Schools receives 13 percent of its annual operating budget through a voter-approved referendum levy. The district also receives 100 percent of its technology funding ($5.4 million) through a voter-approved capital levy. Both levies were due to expire in 2017, if not renewed by voters. With strong parent and community approval ratings, a straight renewal was likely to receive support. Planning forward, however, the district sought to increase one or both of the levies, to ensure fiscal stability for the foreseeable future. The greatest challenge of this campaign was to use effective research and community engagement to identify a level of tax increase that would be acceptable to voters. The research allowed the school board to make an informed decision regarding the questions to be placed on the November ballot. There were differing opinions among district leaders on the amount. District leaders had carefully improved public trust during the last decade. Asking for too much would jeopardize approval and destroy trust. The second challenge was to inspire volunteers to mobilize a grassroots campaign in support of the question. Past referendum campaigns (2001, 2002, 2007) had been led by volunteers whose children had now graduated. A new generation of parents and community volunteers had a steep learning curve on school finance and understanding the need for additional funding. Fiscal stability is one of the district’s strengths. With growing enrollment and a commitment to innovation, Minnetonka is the only district in the metro area that safely weathered the recession and has not cut budgets since 2005. However, that also means that the community had not really engaged around budget issues since 2007. Parents were not contemplating losing any current programs or services. Complacency was a serious threat to this campaign. The third challenge falls under the heading of issues anticipation. The history of school elections in the district is contentious. Most school board elections are bitterly contested, and four of seven school board seats were on the 2015 ballot. The district has been bold and innovative in starting new programs, which have both strong support and vocal opponents. The district welcomes open enrollment students, and about 30 percent of our students/families reside beyond the district borders and can’t vote on district issues. Side issues ran the risk of igniting opposition. Minnetonka’s Annual Communications Plan focuses on five pillars of messaging:

academic achievement

student and staff accomplishments

serving the greater good

technology as an accelerator of learning

financial stewardship and accountability to the public We know that referendum elections are an important part of school funding in Minnesota. We consistently focus on earning the public trust and being responsive to parent and community hopes and dreams for their children. Planning for an impending referendum began long before Election Day. Research, community engagement, and message priming were ongoing from November 2014 – August 2015 in anticipation of a referendum. The school board adopted the questions on August 20, the district had 45 days for its informational campaign, which was complemented by a well-organized grassroots advocacy campaign.

Research

Post-election content analysis of 2014 metro area school district referendums: issues, media, website, opposition, messaging, trends, tactics and results

o Late attacks by opposition should be expected o Strong support for public education funding after years of inadequate state support o Social media tools important; rise in use of video o Need to present clear, compelling case for need; many presented budget cut list o Organized anti-tax opponents often used Minnetonka as an exemplar when attacking

other school districts; it should be difficult for them to turn and attack Minnetonka o A 2013 change in the state’s election law allowed early absentee voting without cause.

One district had attempted to encourage early voter-turnout with favorable results.

Registered voter analysis: estimated voter turn-out 9,000 voters for a contested board election. Candidates’ positions would influence voters. If the school board election was not contested, voter turn-out may be lower. Since parents of school-age children are least likely to vote (secondary research), low voter-turn-out would be detrimental. Strong voter turnout with support of all candidates was critical to success.

Formal employee survey through Workplace Dynamics, Top Workplaces program (The District’s first comprehensive employee survey in more than 15 years.)

o 93% believe the community receives a good value from its investment in public schools o 90% believe new ideas are encouraged (Minnetonka Innovates is our employee

engagement program.) o 84% of employees believe the district operates ethically o 77% have confidence in leadership and believe the district is going in the right direction o Employees who live in the district are slightly more favorable than non-residents o Key employee groups needed more information: Food service, media paras, office

assistants. (Specific outreach to these key groups was important; many were residents.)

Formal random sample phone survey of District residents in April 2015 o All trust indicators improved over already high ratings from 2007 survey

Quality of public schools: 97% Excellent or good (+9 points) Trust the school board and administration to do what is right 93% (+13 points) District has spent tax money efficiently 75% (+18 points) Job performance of board: 71% positive (+21 points) Job performance of superintendent and administration: 82% positive (+23 points)

o Specific issues to watch: open enrollment (68% support), recent construction without referendum (57% support), technology as a priority (64% top priority, 25% medium priority)

o Confusion around open enrollment funding, enrollment growth and revenue o Discerning tax climate 55% - 68% feel taxes are somewhat or very high o Potential tax increase: 19% support any; 19% oppose any; 60% depends on request.

“Reasonable cost” is greatest driver -> “Only ask for what is needed.” o Likely voters could support about $15 per month increase in school taxes o 71% support straight renewal of technology levy – no increase o We tested five scenarios for increasing the operating levy to the state cap: staged

increase with two or three steps was supported at 70%, but would be more difficult to explain. Going to the cap in year one would risk only 50% support, and support would likely drop due to opposition rhetoric during a campaign.

Annual online parent survey o Strong quantitative support: 97% would recommend school to friends or neighbors o Strong support for principals, teachers, board and superintendent o Content analysis of open-ended responses reveal insights into issues: open enrollment,

frustration with 1:1 iPad program, questions about growth and capacity, questions about new programs, focus on high achievement left many wondering about the “average” or middle students’ needs

Community engagement meetings with Citizens Finance Committee, PTO/PTA Leaders, Communications Advisory Committee, Rotary, Alumni Association, volunteers and school board to determine “reasonable” request, test messaging, and inspire volunteers. There were differing opinions among the District’s leadership team regarding the right amount. The Citizen’s Finance Committee and a newly formed District Communications Advisory committee studied the issue over three months before making a final recommendation to the school board.

o Straight renewal for the technology capital levy o Two-tier increase in operating levy; increase in two equal amounts to reach cap over time o Wait until after the school board filing period to decide or adopt the ballot language

Analysis/Planning:

The District’s Communications Advisory Committee, communications staff and key volunteers began meeting in June, just after graduation. The groups wrestled with the complexity of setting the ballot question and explaining why the District was seeking a potentially large increase two years before it was needed. What started as a one hour presentation on budget needed to be simplified and compelling, so it could fit into the short attention spans of today’s voters and resonate with taxpayers.

The District engaged a professional storyteller and presentation expert and district resident to rework the budget presentation into a compelling story—one that started with a message of gratitude for approving past referendums in 2002 and 2007.Those decisions provided the necessary funding to reach the record-high levels of student achievement demonstrated in 2015. Now the question of whether that excellence would continue was in the hands of voters.

Understanding that some of our successful programs and decisions that have brought increased enrollment and revenue to the District also brought big changes into a traditional community, we created a narrative around “the Minnetonka that is [thriving], and the Minnetonka that might have been.” It was an effort to pre-empt criticism and provide supporters with a story they were proud of and could retell. Another metaphor about filling seats on an airplane illustrated the benefits of open enrollment, in what otherwise would be a declining enrollment district. Because we had seen other districts lose a referendum on the issue of open enrollment, we needed to be proactive and address the issue head-on with a narrative that was easy for advocates to repeat.

The communications team built a detailed editorial calendar and social media summer campaign to prime important issues and build pride around the five pillars in our overall District communication plan.

Key back-to-school events, homecoming parade, Alumni events, “Kindness in Chalk” event to kick off bullying prevention month all reached out into the community to build pride and positive energy around our kids and our schools.

The overwhelmingly positive community survey results provided additional key messages around trust, excellence, and fiscal responsibility; but came with a warning that once the public debate started around the ballot issues, support would likely drop eight to ten points.

By early July, the District’s Referendum Communication Plan was complete and shared with volunteers and key stakeholders. The District set the following goals:

o Ensure our community is well-informed about the need for school funding, with a minimum of ten contacts per voter.

o Ensure voters know how to vote, where, when (clear and easy information); emphasis on early voting.

o Enlist hundreds of volunteers to spread the word about the election. o Ensure that all staff have information about the issues. o Ensure easy access to information, and rapid response to questions or issues. o Meet or exceed total number of voters in past school funding elections (9,000)

A volunteer citizen’s committee formed in June and created an advocacy campaign: Vote YES Tonka! (VoteYESTonka.com) The campaign repeated many of the District’s key messages. Private fundraising and volunteers, separate from the Districts campaign, inspired support for both questions.

Issues anticipation, media monitoring and anticipating opposition literature, the superintendent and communications team wrote a number of fact sheets (many of which were never needed).

The school board candidate filing period closed with four candidates running for four seats (the first uncontested election in a long time). All candidates understood the District’s financial plan and actively supported the referendum.

On August 20, 45 days before the election, the school board adopted two referendum questions, and the referendum communications plan kicked-off.

Encouraging early voter turn-out was an important strategy, so parents didn’t get too busy and forget to vote and to minimize the impact of a last minute opposition lit drop. [In Minnesota, courts have upheld the right of opposition groups to lie in literature. This tactic leaves no time for the district to refute claims.]

Because the District crosses two counties and ten municipalities, one of which had a concurrent election, instructions for where, when and how to vote need to saturate the community.

Communications Tactics/Tools

The Referendum presentation was the focus of dozens of face-to-face meetings, from in-home coffees, to rotary, to staff presentations, webinars, website content and social media posts.

A dedicated email address: referendum@minnetonka.k12.mn.us and website form and https://minnetonka.k12.mn.us/referendum provide two-way channels for factual information.

The District’s Annual Report, regular district news postcards, School Board News and email newsletters provided repeated contacts with all households.

Special Purpose Tabloid mailer, handouts at schools, required first class mailer.

A full list of communications tools and tactics is detailed later in this plan.

The Citizens Committee created a series of eight postcards, hosted events, created a video and had an active social media strategy that showed enthusiastic supporters and shared district key messages. The committee used active phone banks for get out the vote efforts, sought endorsements from key community leaders, hosted coffees and events, and were present anywhere the referendum or schools were discussed. The committee had high visible.

The district created five videos: Annual Report; Smart as a 5th Grader; Not Your Parents’ Educ

Our community was challenged early in September with a horrific murder-suicide in one of our small towns; a father took the lives of three of our high school students and his wife before turning the gun on himself. The campaign rightfully went silent for a few weeks. During that time, our community pulled together with #TonkaStrong enveloping our high school students. Parents privately put up more than 500 lawn-signs throughout the community #TonkaStrong. It was almost two weeks before the funeral and an emotionally fragile time for many of our students and staff. Because of the #TonkaStrong lawn signs, the YES committee removed lawn signs from their campaign plan. The campaign did not resume in full swing until early October, with about a four week push to follow.

On October 13, our high school principal, @TonkaPrincipal, hosted a Twitterchat with recent grads. The alumni reinforced how well Minnetonka prepared them for college, encouraged students to enroll in challenging AP and IB courses, and supported our “Return on the Investment” messages in our campaign. He also encouraged absentee voting. The following day, we put the chat in Storify and shared it across other social media channels.

Evaluation

By engaging key community stakeholders early in determining how much to seek and how to structure the question—before the issue was on the ballot—the District maintained its high level of community support by “asking only for what it needed” and earned 72% voter approval for each question. It was a record-level of support for any funding question in the history of the district and exceeded our pre-election survey prediction.

The early voting effort was extremely successful, with more than 1,000 early/absentee voters. This too was a record that stretched our small staff of only two certified absentee election judges. In future years, we will need to train and certify more election judges for early absentee voting. When early voting started, volunteers had a goal of at least 10 voters per day; they exceeded that goal and for Saturday voting there was a steady stream of voters.

The District’s summer campaign to prime the message was far-reaching with high engagement. Our top reaching post featured student achievement, posted on August 21, showing Minnetonka ranked second behind Shanghai on the PISA International reading and math exam. The post reached 64K and more than 8.4K clicks (compared to our 6.3K followers). Six of our top ten posts from July – October were part of the social shares priming campaign.

The District’s Special Election Tabloid mailer was the most often referenced source of information. Direct-mailed to every household and available for pick-up at events, meetings, and schools, it was designed for a quick glance. Even if it sat on the counter and was never opened, a reader’s eye was drawn to the list of nine positive messages about the District. The depth of the piece provided enough information for a voter to make an informed decision.

Small group face-to-face meetings with key staff (clerical, paras and food service) got them excited to talk to friends and neighbors and encourage others to vote. Very important tactic.

The District’s interactive Tax Calculator and links to the Pollfinder Website were the most visited pages on the website and out-bound email click-throughs.

Local newspapers were favorable, good key message placement; weekly letters to the editor.

The campaign went smoothly, with little opposition. The school board race was uncontested. Without controversy, voter turn-out was lower than the goal of 9,000, with just under 7,000 voters. A post-election analysis of voter records mirrors our broader community—we have an aging community with fewer families with children who reside in our district. Thankfully, we have strong support among citizens without children.

Referendum Communication Plan

Sample Communication Pieces (Click images to view full PDF or Web page)

District Website

Hey Mom, Dad,YOU NEED TO VOTE.

Funding for our schools for the next 10 years is on the

November 3, 2015 ballot.

MINNETONKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2015REFERENDUM

Minnetonka Public Schools relies on voter-approved referendum for 13% of its annual operating budget or about $13 million annually.

The current funding, last approved in 2007, will run out in 2017 if not renewed.

The District is asking to extend and increase the annual operating levy through 2025 to keep pace with rising costs.

The District’s total annual operating budget is $103 million. The District is asking for an increase of $340 per pupil beginning in 2016. This will provide a 3.6% increase. In the same ballot question, the District is seeking a second increase of $340 in 2019.

Minnetonka Public Schools relies on voter-approved referendum for 100% of its technology budget or about $5.3 million annually.

The current funding, last approved in 2007, will run out in 2017 if not renewed.

The District is asking to extend the technology levy through 2025 at its current rate.

A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH: ONLY ASKING FOR WHAT IS NEEDEDThe two-part operating referendum question is focused on being respectful of taxpayers and keeping taxes as low as possible, while still securing the necessary funding to balance the budget in coming years. State funding has not kept pace with inflation and local funding is a critical part of the way schools are funded in Minnesota. The School Board and Administration pride themselves on being fiscally responsible while providing excellent educational opportunities for children in our community. The tax increase for a median-value home in the District ($350,000) is $15 per month or $183 per year.

TWO QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT

LEARN MORE: WWW.MINNETONKA.K12.MN.US/REFERENDUM

Will the opportunities available to students today be available when your children enter high school?

Local voter-approved funding is needed to maintain the excellence.

ABSENTEE VOTING IN PERSONIf you live in the City of Minnetonka and the Minnetonka School District, you may vote early at Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Boulevard, Minnetonka, in conjunction with the City Council election. Monday-Friday, 8 AM-4:30 PM or Oct 31, 10 AM-3 PM.

If you live in the school district and in Chanhassen, Deephaven, Excelsior, Eden Prairie, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Victoria or Woodland, you may vote early at the Minnetonka District Service Center, 5621 County Road 101, Minnetonka (next to Clear Springs). Monday-Friday, 8 AM-4:30 PM or Oct 31, 10 AM-3 PM.

WHERE TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAYNovember 3: Polls open 7 a.m.- 8p.m.City of Minnetonka residents vote at your regular polling location in conjunction with the City Election.

Deephaven and Woodland residents vote at Deephaven City Hall.

City of Excelsior and Greenwood residents vote at Excelsior Elementary.

City of Shorewood, Precinct 4 residents vote at Excelsior Elementary.

City of Shorewood, Precinct 1, 2, and 3 and Tonka Bay residents vote at Southshore Community Center.

City of Chanhassen, Precincts 2 and 3, and City of Victoria residents vote at Minnetonka Middle School West.

City of Chanhassen, Precinct 1A, and City of Eden Prairie Precincts 1, 2, 5 vote at Minnetonka District Service Center.

HOW TO VOTE

Prepared and paid for by Independent School District No. 276 (Minnetonka), 5621 County Road 101, Minnetonka, MN 55345

VOTING HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

Changes to election laws in 2013 allow any eligible voter to vote early, in person or by mail.

Vote today or at your convenience. Voting is open now through Nov. 3.

Don’t get rushed on Election Day. This vote is too important. Make it a priority; make time to vote.

Financial Efficiency

Schools are a Community Assets

Citizen’s Committee Postcards and Themes

Late Opposition Lit Drop (One corner of the district, dropped day before election and election day)

Monitoring the no website: Site started October 20, 2015. Logs recorded only receive two visits through Election Day. Site registered to a St. Paul business man Jake Duesenberg, no known affiliation to our community.

Email Analytics

Date Sent Sent to Sent/Delivered Opens

Total/Unique

Clicks Total/ Unique

Unsubscribe

d

Referendum Q1 10/19/15

Grade 09 ECFE-Preschool District Resident

Families Key Communicators

8,349 / 8,121 7,476 / 3,914 282 / 202 17

Preschool Open Gym 10/22/15 ECFE-Preschool 592 / 586 563 / 266 NA 0

Technology Levy Version 2 10/23/15

Grade 09 ECFE-Preschool District Resident

Families Key Communicators

8,254 / 8,093 4,768 / 2,932 93 / 75 10

Referendum Q1 10/25/15 R1 did not open 3,805 / 3,795 1,034 / 604 45 / 32 1

Technology Levy Version 2 10/26/15

Grade 09 ECFE-Preschool District Resident

Families Key Communicators

8,240 / 8,071 4,820 / 2,797 210 / 147 15

Alumni email 10/27/15 Mtka Alumni in

District 248 / 243 158 / 94 13 / 9 1

Where and How to Vote 10/27/15

Grade 09 ECFE-Preschool District Resident

Families Key Communicators

8,224 / 8,064 4,473 / 2,549 211 / 182 5

Election Day: Where to Vote 11/2/15

Grade 09 ECFE-Preschool District Resident

Families Key Communicators

8,218 / 8,069 5,251 / 2,968 881 / 755 4

Top Facebook Posts July-October

Referendum Video Views This isn’t your parents education. Vimeo – 468 YouTube – 289 Annual Report Vimeo – 531 YouTube - 27 Are you as Smart as our 5th Graders? Vimeo – 495 YouTube - 58 Please Vote November 3: Vimeo – 199 YouTube - 28 Technology Accelerates Learning Vimeo – 123 YouTube - 30 Annual Report Board Goals Vimeo – 6 YouTube - 12

Election Results

Q 1: Operating

Yes No % Total voters

Carver: ISD 276 - MINNETONKA MIDDLE SCHOOL WEST 631 226 73.6% 857

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-D-V 150 75 66.7% 225

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-E 286 80 78.1% 366

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-F-V 407 155 72.4% 562

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-A 199 72 73.4% 271

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-B 173 85 67.1% 258

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-C 316 129 71.0% 445

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-D-Z 295 129 69.6% 424

Hennepin: ISD 276 - DEEPHAVEN CITY HALL 484 234 67.4% 718

Hennepin: ISD 276 - EXCELSIOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 549 237 69.8% 786

Hennepin: ISD 276 - SOUTHSHORE COMMUNITY CENTER 602 311 65.9% 913

Hennepin: ISD 276 MINNETONKA DIST SRVC CTR 593 127 82.4% 720

4685 1860 71.6% 6545

Q2: Technology

Yes No % Total voters

Carver: ISD 276 - MINNETONKA MIDDLE SCHOOL WEST 641 217 74.7% 858

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-D-V 152 72 67.9% 224

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-E 291 78 78.9% 369

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-3 P-F-V 402 160 71.5% 562

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-A 208 64 76.5% 272

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-B 173 86 66.8% 259

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-C 326 121 72.9% 447

Hennepin: MINNETONKA W-4 P-D-Z 291 133 68.6% 424

Hennepin: ISD 276 - DEEPHAVEN CITY HALL 498 219 69.5% 717

Hennepin: ISD 276 - EXCELSIOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 575 212 73.1% 787

Hennepin: ISD 276 - SOUTHSHORE COMMUNITY CENTER 607 305 66.6% 912

Hennepin: ISD 276 MINNETONKA DIST SRVC CTR 606 113 84.3% 719

4770 1780 72.8% 6550