School Bond Success: A Strategy for Building America's Schools

by Carleton R. Holt

Overview

The nuts and bolts of securing the funding for facility construction, a component of the building process usually overlooked in training administrators, are clearly outlined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475839272
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/07/2017
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	286
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Carleton R. Holt, an associate professor and educational leadership program coordinator in the department of curriculum and instruction, brings an extensive background of leadership in the field of education to the University of Arkansas. He has served as a band director, coach, and school administrator in the public schools in Iowa and South Dakota for over thirty years.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chapter 1: America's Aging Schools Chapter 2: The Preplanning Phase Chapter 3: The Project Development Phase: Selecting Consultants Chapter 4: The Project Development Phase: Chapter 5: Beginning the Campaign: Developing a Marketing Chapter 6: Campaign Activities Chapter 7: Bond Election Day Chapter 8: Developing Special Skills Chapter 9: Case Study Introduction Chapter 10: Case Study #1 Chapter 11: Case Study #2 Chapter 12: Case Study #3 Chapter 13: Senior Voters

Editorial Reviews

This book serves as a timely and relevant resource for school leaders at all levels to understand the importance of tactical planning for success when considering facility needs. I have personally served on a team who used this resource and the practical information shared within to design our needs, create a plan, communicate with stakeholders, engaging in campaign activities, and ultimately pass a bond issue with over 50% voter turnout and 76% voter approval. The result for that district was to replace nearly 75% of the academic space for the district with new or renovated facilities to serve students well for their future. I am thankful for the strategies and action steps I gained by being a student of “School Bond Success,” as students in that district are now learning in safe and educationally appropriate school facilities. 

Paul Gausman

Dr. Carleton Holt has revised his well-written book on school bond referenda with updated sections and new research-based material. This text has long been a staple source of information of educators and a required text in finance courses. The text is easily read and covers the entire scope of actions necessary for a successful bond referendum.A new section of the book deals with the financial gap between local and state/federal help on school facilities. This gap has long been a source of some confusion to educational administrators. Dr. Carleton has shed more light on the subject. In the last chapter, there is a new section addressing the senior voter. The senior voter is a critical element in every bond referendum, often times being the voting block that determines success or failure of the referendum. Dr. Holt has addressed this issue with recent research findings that will help the reader better understand and deal with these phenomena. The Fourth Edition of School Bond Success: A Strategy for Building America’s Schools is a must read for every educational administrator who will be faced with trying to get a bond referendum passed successfully.

Glen I. Earthman

School Bond Success is a must-read for superintendents, school board members, finance and facilities managers, and aspiring district community leaders. The new edition provides state of the art research on the changing demographics and voting patterns impacting today's school finance and bond elections. How should district leaders attract the support and vote of senior citizens? The authors offer pragmatic tools to ensure senior citizens serve as bridge builders, not barriers, to school bond success. It is an imperative resource for everyone involved in school finance and school facilities planning and design for twenty-first century schools.

Steve Jenkins

Holt presents a guide to obtaining the funds needed to remodel, improve, and construct school buildings so that students may learn in safe and high-quality environments. This edition validates research and discusses the relationship between school climate and student success.

Research Book News

I worked in a public school district that has had significant historical challenges in passing bond issues. In the 1990's they failed seven attempts, in 2003 and 2004 they again failed twice. In 2005, I took the position of superintendent of schools, and we were given a structural engineer's report that said we needed to make a change to our building structures immediately. I dug into the practical information shared in School Bond Success and began to work on a plan for the district. We designed the plan, we communicated with the stakeholders, and we were ultimately successful as we now have two new elementary schools, one new middle school, new administrative offices, and a new community/school library. Our 12.56 million-dollar-bond issue passed with 76% approval and over 50% of voter turnout. I am thankful for the strategies and action steps I gained by being a student of "School Bond Success," as students are now learning in safe and educationally appropriate school facilities.

Paul R. Gausman

This book will serve as an effective guide for any school district or government organization contemplating an election. It provides a practical approach to presenting information to the voting public in an organized and sequential fashion. I have followed the guidelines presented in this book in directing successful election campaigns for school building construction as well as an opt-out of the general fund property tax limitation. Therefore, I recommend this book as a valuable resource to school or government officials directing public election campaigns.

Mark Froke

Holt presents a guide to obtaining the funds needed to remodel, improve, and construct school buildings so that students may learn in safe and high-quality environments. This edition validates research and discusses the relationship between school climate and student success.

August 2009 Research Book News