School boards' public relations efforts should be based on honesty and a clear examination of the issues, rather than self-serving generalizations that mask problems. Seven "C's" of public relations are discussed: credibility, context, content, clarity, continuity, channels, and capability of audience. (TE)

Describes the public relations effort that went into a successful campaign to pass a $4.1 million bond referendum. (IRT)

Experiences of a Michigan school district provide a case study for examining the political, economic, and community-relations issues embedded in a decision to privatize. Support can be achieved only if all parties feel they were given adequate attention during deliberations on the issue. (MLF)

Outlines guidelines for school boards to follow in setting up effective public hearings on school issues. The guidelines are divided into two groups: (a) what to do to prepare for the hearing, and (b) how to conduct the hearing itself. (MD)

Reviewing the major points at the two teacher union conventions in 1983, this article outlines how both unions are responding to recent criticism of public education. The unions are involved in new public outreach efforts, and the most debated issue at both conferences was merit pay. (MD)

Ignoring public relations can have devastating consequences, as one Indiana (LaPorte) district learned after a failed bond measure. School board members should cultivate local news media, ensure that schools send out regular newsletters, use free media coverage, save press conferences for significant events, move board meetings to different…

Voters in Starkville, Mississippi, passed an $9.8 million bond issue last year despite opposition by the local chapter of the NAACP. The election returns reflect that the district already was committed to a policy of finding and hiring qualified black teachers and administrators and district leaders were willing to commit themselves to the…

Issue management is the tracking of social change and the forecasting of the effect it will have on a school district. Explains seven requirements in setting up an issue-management program in schools and offers tips on communicating with the community. (MLF)

A survey of absentee voting in the Highline (Washington) School District revealed that mailed-in ballots have no better than--and often less than--a 50-50 chance of favoring school finance issues. School officials should reconsider encouraging the growth of voting by mail. (IW)

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…

A number of school boards have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out their superintendents' contracts. Offers advice from school board members, superintendents, search consultants, and school attorneys on the issues of contract buyouts. Calculates the cost of contract buyouts in four large school systems. (MLF)

Describes organizational and planning strategies used to convince voters in the Park City (Utah) School District to approve two bond referendums. Offers 10 suggestions for conducting a successful school-bond campaign. (LMI)

A school fund-raising drive for a young cancer victim at Twality Junior High School in Tigard, Oregon, became a legal hassle with the involvement of a professional fund-raising organization being investigated for mishandling funds. Advises making a thorough background check before letting anyone take custody of funds raised through the school.…