This quantitative ex post facto study is a modified replication of research conducted in 1991 by Dr. Michael Ough designed to understand the relationship between selected variables and the outcome of school bond elections held in Nebraska between September 1, 2011, and August 31, 2021. The dependent variable for the study was if a Nebraska public…

This study is intended to provide guidance to public school districts by identifying research based campaign strategies that have been proven to help with the successful passage of bond initiatives. In the United States, half of all public schools need at least one major facility repair and in Ohio, because tax initiatives in support of school…

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, education policy debates have thrust a heightened focus on the provision of adequate school resources and on educator well-being and turnover, concerns particularly critical for school districts that serve large shares of economically disadvantaged students. In this article, we investigate voter and parent…

We examine whether policies that enable families to opt out of locally provided public services are associated with reduced political participation. Our study is focused on two types of school choice policy in Michigan: inter-district choice and charter schools. Do parents who send their children to schools of choice or charter schools vote at…

The PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) Statewide Survey provides a voice for the public and likely voters--informing policymakers, encouraging discussion, and raising awareness on critical issues of the day. This 14th annual survey involved interviewing 1,704 California adults between March 25-April 3, 2018. Findings include: (1) Most…

This report is the results of an online survey of likely 2022 voters, conducted August 30-September 12, 2022. The data show that voters and parents alike have a clear vision of their priorities for education and schools, school funding, and parental involvement. [This report was prepared with Lake Research Partners. For "Across the Aisle:…

The complexities surrounding public school funding are not unique to Ohio. There have been numerous legal challenges in the State Supreme Courts and seminal cases from the U.S. Supreme Court which have assigned the practices and formulas by which schools are funded to the individual states. Although previous research has investigated voter…

The "Texas K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Texas registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

This dissertation presents a historical case study of the Egg Harbor Township School District bond referendum that passed with an exceptionally high 92 percent of votes in January 2005. The methodology used in this study resulted in both an examination of the components of the New Jersey Public School District bond referendum process as well as an…

The 2010 EdSource Forum, held on March 19 in Santa Clara, focused on the obstacles and opportunities in the road ahead for public schools and community colleges. The Forum included four sessions. Two are covered in this report: (1) A sobering discussion of California's fiscal crisis by Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor; and (2) A lively Q&A…

Many school districts are in need of a successful plan of action for school district referendums. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the perceived effectiveness between factors and strategies surrounding referendums and the passage of those measures meant to improve school funding and facilities. The findings from Johnson and…

Mail-in elections are prompting school officials to communicate their message to a wide variety of audiences. Many of the states using vote-by-mail have also made it much easier for citizens to cast absentee ballots. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of voting by mail. (MLF)

Explores aspects of four school referenda in Albuquerque in 1968 and 1969. Data suggest that income did not significantly correlate with elections utilizing the property tax as a funding base, but did so with voting behavior in an election with income tax as a funding base. (RJ)

To help sell a school bond issue in Akron, Ohio, the district recruited speakers that the voters could identify with: coaches, school board members, ministers, parents, senior citizens, and key school staff members. Speakers were brought together for a training session to go over presentation skills and the key selling points identified by the…

Ten years ago the new superintendent of District 11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, learned the proposed budget was $12 million out of balance. Now the district has sound financial backing thanks to improving business practices. (MLF)