Communications committee outlines outreach, Q&A forums ahead of Amity budget referendum

At its March meeting, the Amity Board of Education Communications Committee reviewed a draft communications plan for the district’s budget referendum and mapped a schedule of outreach aimed at increasing voter awareness.

Cat (presenter) walked the committee through a draft notice and proposed outreach steps that she said were designed to be "ready to hand off" if staff turnover occurred. She asked the committee to emphasize that "this isn't just for people who have kids in the school — this is about the entire community," and said she would update dollar figures after confirming final numbers with Terry, the staff member handling budget materials.

The committee identified April 7 as the public hearing where residents may comment on the proposed budget, and discussed a May 5 meeting that formally opens the referendum process and precedes ballot printing. Cat and other members emphasized that, while the board could technically adjust numbers if overwhelming public comment arrived before printing, the practical deadline for substantive changes is early April.

To reach more voters, the committee agreed to ask PTO/PTSO leaders in the district’s towns to help distribute information and repost official content. Members noted PTOs typically cannot share voter lists, so the committee will request contact information for PTO presidents and social-media leads and provide draft language the PTOs can re-use.

The committee proposed three 30-minute Q&A forums — two virtual and one in-person — during the weeks of April 7, April 21 and April 28 to give voters multiple options for engagement. Members discussed timing for families and recommended at least one midday session and one evening session. They also recommended pairing a communications committee member with a finance committee member for each forum so budget details can be answered accurately.

On format and access, members favored recording virtual sessions for later viewing but not necessarily recording in-person events. They discussed using chat and raised-hand features to moderate live questions and collecting submitted questions in a shared Google sheet that could be linked from the board website for transparency.

Committee members also brainstormed topics for a broader spring forum and for future fall events, including panels on electives, athletics and postgraduation supports and a ‘‘what makes Amity unique’’ feature to highlight programs such as automotive and construction classes. The group suggested lifting material from the superintendent’s report to populate social posts and the board newsletter.

Procedural items: the committee approved minutes from its Feb. 11 meeting (Donna: yes; Dana: abstain; Carol: yes). The meeting ended on a motion to adjourn without objection. Cat will update the draft letter and materials and re-send them to committee leads; the committee will finalize PTO contacts and forum dates in the coming days.

Next steps: Cat will send the updated copy to Jen and Carol; committee members will gather PTO/PTSO contacts; the group will confirm forum hosts and pairings with finance staff before the April 7 public hearing.