Practical PR: Tips for Communicating Your District’s Financial Information

By Alex Mayster

 
Getting stakeholders to truly understand the financial position of a school district is no easy task. In a world where some parents are still struggling to help their children complete their math homework, business managers across the state are trying to walk through complex budgets, tax levies, detailed projections, and other financial documents that many community members are completely unfamiliar with.
 
School districts have a tendency to utilize acronym statements (like the CAFR and the AFR) that oftentimes leave the normal, everyday taxpayer with questions and doubt. When it comes to communication strategies, it’s essential to meet the needs of our public and ensure that easy-to-understand information is shared with the community.
 
Further complicating the issue are the extremely wide-ranging levels of financial knowledge of the stakeholders who districts are trying to inform. This can be all over the map but, generally, we know that most community members fall into one of two categories:
 
The first (and perhaps most common) group freely admits the whole “finance thing” is completely over their heads. They likely tune out when it’s the business manager’s turn to speak and generally do not have much to say when it comes to money — until the day comes when a financial decision directly affects their family.
 
The other group of people already has it all figured out. They are homeowners in the community who have budgets just like a school district. They have facilities (their homes), revenues (paycheck), and expenses (Netflix), so how different could it really be working with multi-million dollar budgets?
 
How can school districts communicate in a way that will reach both groups and everyone in between? The tips below will help school districts create comprehensive communication that is informative, wide-reaching, and easy for all stakeholders to understand.
 
Tell Your Story
 
There are a plethora of avenues to share information, and your school district is probably already using them. Most districts offer peeks inside the classrooms on social media, publicize their latest recognitions on their websites, and update parents on changes to the school calendar through a reoccurring e-newsletter. So where should you tell your school finance story? The answer is all of the above. In 2021, presenting finances only at a board of education meeting no longer cuts it.
 
If you really want the community to be informed, put your information in front of the stakeholders. In doing so, consider your target audience. Parents may be most likely to see your content on Facebook or through an email, a Tweet may be the best way to reach staff members, and old-fashioned snail-mail might be your best option for reaching those non-parent taxpayers that you’ll need on your side when it comes time to pass a referendum.
 
 
 
Put on Your Reporter Hat
 
Depending on your district’s landscape, you may have others (such as the media) eager to tell the story for you. While you are unlikely to actually land on the payroll of a local newspaper or online news organization, you can do your part to ensure the accuracy of their stories. A little bit of help can go a long way. Consider putting together some information, in layman’s terms, explaining to media members what a tax levy increase will mean for the taxpayers, how a TIF district will affect revenues, or why it is necessary to have so much money in reserves. If you can produce this content in a way that media members can copy and paste directly into their stories, even better.
 
The journalism industry is struggling and reporters are spread extremely thin. Some reporters are expected to cover everything from community parades and high school sporting events to residents’ 100th birthdays and heroic animal achievements — oh, and sometimes school board meetings. Don’t expect your local reporter to be an expert on school finances. Spend the time to help them, and in turn, you will help your community better understand your school district’s financial situation.
 
Now if only there was a way to control the messaging on your local Facebook [insert District Name] parent’s group.
 
 
 
Make It Easy to Understand
 
We’ve already hit on the complexity of school finances and must acknowledge that it is difficult to understand, as well as to explain. At times, it may be best to get away from the traditional ways in which information is shared. If you’re anticipating questions from the community, consider putting together an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that will anticipate and answer those questions before they arise. This offers a great opportunity to explain things in terms people will understand. Additionally, don’t be afraid to use charts and graphs that will allow stakeholders to visualize your information in ways that are not possible with the written word.
 
Programs that business managers are already using, such as Forecast 5, Excel, or Google Sheets, do a great job of creating easy-to-understand visuals. If you’re looking for something more, check out Canva or Visme.
 
 

Alex Mayster, APR, is President of the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA) and Director of Communications for Evergreen Park ESD 124.