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Cuba City School Board outlines outreach plan ahead of Nov. 5 referendum
Summary
Board members and administrators agreed to a mix of in-person open forums, tabling at school events, QR-linked FAQs and targeted email notices to educate residents about a Nov. 5 operating referendum; mailer costs and address gaps were flagged as outreach challenges.
The Cuba City School District board spent a large portion of its meeting planning outreach to residents ahead of the Nov. 5 operating referendum, agreeing to combine in-person open forums with staffed tables at home sporting events and targeted digital materials.
Administrators said they will publish a frequently asked questions document on the district website, add QR codes linking to referendum information, and lean on email lists that reach roughly 800 family addresses while acknowledging duplicate and missing entries limit coverage. The board discussed putting a staffed table near concessions at football and volleyball games and offering short staffed shifts during events so residents could ask questions in person.
Members raised the high cost of mailed flyers (about $1,200–$1,400 per mailing) and noted recurring problems reaching residents with PO boxes and some rural routes in Dickyville and Keeler. Staff said USPS rules limit district control over final mailing handling, and the board discussed lower-cost options such as postcards produced with addresses printed and postage applied separately.
The board also favored holding one or more open-forum sessions with a 15–20 minute overview followed by open questions, and asked staff to pursue community sites including Cuba City, Dickyville, the public library and PTO events. The board agreed to invite outside presenters — including a consultant who has worked with nearby districts and the district’s legal counsel — to give a clear explanation of what referendum funds may and may not be used for.
Board members requested at least one recorded presentation that could be posted on the district’s Facebook page and website and planned an open forum after the October board meeting to leverage attendance from a scheduled presentation. Staff said they will compile a schedule of outreach events and share signup opportunities for board members to staff tables or attend brief shifts.
The board emphasized the effort is educational rather than persuasive and that administrators will focus on factual information and answering resident questions. The next steps are to finalize event dates for October and early November and post the district’s FAQ and schedule online.
