Consultants advise DuPage HSD 88 to target November 2026 ballot, stress no-tax-rate-increase message

Consultants from Beyond Your Base urged the DuPage HSD 88 Board of Education to consider placing a bond referendum on the November 2026 ballot and to structure financing so the district can present the measure without a tax-rate increase.

Paul Hamlin, managing director of engineering for Beyond Your Base, told the board that “70% of your electorate do not have a school age child,” and said successful referenda start with polling and community engagement well before any yard signs or formal resolution. Skyler White, lead of voter analytics and digital engagement, described the firm’s survey and digital outreach methods and the sample sizes they recommend.

The consultants said timing and message matter. They presented district voter registration data showing roughly 32% Democratic, 22% Republican and 46% unaffiliated voters and described turnout differences among March, April and November cycles. They recommended November 2026 because it typically produces a younger, larger electorate that is more favorable to school referenda, and because larger turnouts make it harder for a small, organized opposition to tip the result. Hamlin said that if the district can time a referendum to coincide with debt that is rolling off, “you can pitch a no tax rate increase,” which he described as “more powerful than anything.”

Beyond Your Base outlined a five-phase process the consultants use: plan development; community outreach; public opinion research; follow-up communications; and a separately funded, citizen-led campaign. The firm emphasized testing a Plan A (the district’s preferred package) and a smaller Plan B in polling to see what moves swing voters; it cited a recent Downers Grove example where the district tested two package sizes and ultimately pursued the larger measure after polling results.

On outreach and research, the consultants recommended a mail-plus-online household survey to every registered-voter household (the presentation referenced 30,626 registered-voter households in one example) followed, for larger samples, by a scientific multimodal phone poll that aims for roughly 300 completes and is weighted to likely-voter demographics. They said digital video and targeted streaming reach can boost awareness and survey participation and that polling can test specific project elements (safety/security, infrastructure, ADA/accessibility, career and technical education) and messaging for and against the proposal.

The presenters warned about legal limits on district activity after an election resolution is adopted. Hamlin said the district must coordinate with bond counsel and its attorney and cautioned that district staff and officials cannot use taxpayer funds to advocate for a ballot measure: “you can't say vote yes. You can't advocate for it.” He also noted that a citizen campaign committee that raises more than $5,000 must file reports with the board of elections and that any committee must be separate from the district and its funds.

Board members asked practical questions. A board member asked about typical campaign budgets; Hamlin said a rough rule-of-thumb is about $1.25 per household but that precise budgeting depends on the number of voters targeted. The consultants also clarified that a citizen task force assembled to vet a package is not, by itself, a campaign committee; some members of a task force may later form a separate campaign committee if they choose to advocate and fundraise.

No formal referendum decision was taken at the meeting. The only recorded formal action was a motion to adjourn the special meeting; the motion was made by Olson, seconded by Chris, and the chair declared the meeting adjourned.

The consultants said they would follow up with district staff on next steps if the board wishes to proceed with public opinion research and plan development.