Washougal School District April 2023 Levy Outreach

Since 2020, many communities have become increasingly politically polarized, and school districts have often found themselves caught in the middle. This has made it harder and harder for districts to pass local funding measures, even in districts where such measures historically passed easily, such as Washougal. After failing to pass the February 2023 replacement levies, we worked closely with the district to change our communication approach, passing both levies handily in the April election.

“What’s at Stake?” Print Materials

The levy handouts and mailer for the April 2023 election had much bolder colors and text than the February materials with very clear information about what was at stake for staff and students, should the levies fail to pass. The April materials also featured numerous student and staff testimonials about what levy-funded programs mean to them.

Social Media

New social media graphics were created to address the “What’s at Stake” messaging and combat misinformation.

Social media images from the February election were recolored to match the vibrant, new look of the April materials.

In addition to the informative infographics, the district posted staff and student testimonials on Facebook in the two months leading up to the election.

Video

The district also shared information through short videos on Facebook and Instagram Reels.