SCHOOL BONDS
Support for proper, voter-approved school bonds
The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma (LWVOK) recommends that local support for school bond must:
- conform to all local and state legal mandates,
- reflect the needs of the school district through equity to all students,
- include community participation,
- provide information regarding the bond measures to the voters through various media, and
- incorporate methods for public accountability, sustainability, and transparency following successful passage of the bond measure.
Concurrence approved 2017
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa (LWVMT) voted to conduct a study on school bond elections. The study was motivated by the fact that the LWVMT was asked to support school bond proposals in the past but had been unable to do so because it had not studied the topic in depth. A study group was formed and essential questions were posed.
During the study, the LWVMT Education Bond study committee reviewed national, state and local League of Women Voters policies on school bonds. The committee learned that no other Oklahoma League had a policy on school bonds, but found that local Leagues in other states had taken a position on support for school bond requests. The committee also interviewed a number of individuals who had been involved in the school bond process. These included school administrators, school board members and law firms that had worked with school districts throughout the state developing education bond proposals, and Oklahoma’s most widely contracted bond management firm.
Following approval by the LWVOK Board of Directors, the LWVMT Education Bond Position was presented at the 2017 Convention where it was accepted unanimously.
