Consultant outlines yearlong community engagement process for District 300 master facility plan

Jennifer Volk, owner of Discovery Works Collaborative, presented a proposed process on June 24 to move Community Unit School District 300’s master facility plan toward actionable next steps, including the possibility of a future referendum.

Volk told the board, “Our goal as a company is to truly connect school districts with their community through public opinion research, strategic communications, and community engagement.” She described a six-step roadmap that begins with a formal board charge and the formation of a community-led facilitating team, followed by broad-based engagement, an opt-in electronic survey, targeted community workshops and a second public-opinion survey to validate findings.

Volk said the facilitating team typically includes 20 to 30 community members and that successful campaigns answer four questions: readiness in public opinion research, a strong plan rooted in engagement, internal unity among district leaders and an organized community campaign. She emphasized inclusive outreach and bilingual materials and said the process would leverage both an electronic opt-in survey and a 300-sample telephone survey to test community sentiment.

Volk offered examples of other districts where the process increased measured support from the high 40s to the low 60s over a campaign cycle. She said the consulting team’s role is informational and communicative, not to advocate for a yes or no position should the district decide to pursue a ballot measure.

Board members and staff indicated support for bringing a formal proposal back to the board; Doctor Smith noted this would be a next step following prior facility planning work. The facilitating-team recommendation and survey materials would be delivered to the board as part of a final report if the board issues a charge to proceed.