Background

West Contra Costa Unified School District (formerly Richmond Unified School District) faced significant challenges as it looked to renew its expiring parcel tax. Due to a highly-publicized state takeover in 1991 that continued to plague the district, as well as recent press about increased drop-out rates and poor academic performance, many local voters were skeptical of the district and hesitant to support a parcel
tax renewal.

Additionally, the vast district comprises several unique communities from Hercules and Pinole in the north, Richmond in the center and El Cerrito and Kensington to the south. Finding consensus regarding school issues across these unique communities was very difficult.

With divergent opinions that mirrored the diversity of the district itself, the volunteer campaign committee decided against using the consultant that advised the school district, and hired TBWB as the general consultant for the campaign to pass
Measure D.

What We Did

TBWB worked with a volunteer committee of parents, teachers, business leaders and elected officials to craft a poll-tested, positive message and campaign strategy that unified the group and resonated with the electorate.

Due to the unique demographics of each community within the district, TBWB created a regionalized field and mail plan. This plan tailored mail pieces and outreach for each region of the district, emphasizing that Measure D would benefit neighborhood schools in each community.

Additionally, our messaging focused on recent improvements in academic performance in the school district and explained how Measure D would continue to improve academics in WCCUSD schools.

With a huge new voter base energized about Barack Obama’s historic candidacy, our field effort targeted first-time voters. Though many were supporters of school issues, their lack of voting experience required additional outreach to help capture their yes votes for an issue that was at the end of a very long ballot.