Ensuring Successful Bond Referendums in Rural South Carolina School Districts: Key Strategies Employed by Superintendents

The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the strategies of superintendents that lead to the successful passage of referendums within small, rural districts in South Carolina. Federal, state and local revenue streams make up the majority of funding for operating expenses for districts in South Carolina. For capital projects, however, the majority of districts must rely on local funding. The primary method to acquire the needed revenue is through a referendum which can be a costly and time-consuming process that moves the focus of school and district leadership from teaching and learning to pursuing funding for infrastructure needs. In addition, there is a lack of literature on the successful strategies superintendents utilize in rural districts in states like South Carolina. Thus, there was an imperative need to examine the effective strategies associated with the successful passage of school district referendums within the state South Carolina. I studied three rural South Carolina school districts using a qualitative, multi-case study design to answer the study’s research question: What are the key strategies a superintendent employs to ensure a bond referendum is successful in small, rural school districts in South Carolina? Three major themes emerged from the data. These themes included strategic timing, strategic stakeholder engagement, and strategic considerations. Within these themes, 13 strategies utilized by each superintendent during their successful referendum campaign emerged. Among these 13 strategies were utilizing a general election, being transparent regarding taxpayer impact, communicating with business leaders early and often, and considering side issues that could derail a campaign. The results of this study inform superintendents and school boards of the strategies and steps needed for a successful bond referendum within the state of South Carolina. In addition, this study bridges the gap of the lack of previous studies involving successful school bond referendums in rural states such as South Carolina.