Watertown planning committee finalizes outreach for $4.5 million referendum; members debate wording on potential cuts

The Watertown Unified School District planning committee on Wednesday reviewed and refined outreach materials for a proposed $4.5 million operational referendum, approving a timeline for flyers, wallet-sized cards, videos and a volunteer kickoff while asking staff to clarify wording that could be read as a threat of unspecified cuts.

Jason (presenter) said the district’s leadership team had finalized much of the messaging and handed out a two-sided flyer that will be used as an 8.5-by-11 poster, in a multi-page mailer and on the district website. "We want a clean, clear, succinct message," he said, noting the flyer’s back page is intentionally heavy on graphics to draw stakeholder attention.

Melissa (staff member), who described production plans, said the district will also produce two short videos with a local contractor (HNI Collective): a 90-second district video to be filmed Jan. 22 and a referendum-focused testimonial shoot on Feb. 6. She said the district plans up to eight testimonial interviews and will provide Spanish translations and closed captions; a QR code on materials will link to a calculator allowing residents to compute their own property-tax impact.

Several committee members praised the positive framing and the property-tax impact graphic but urged care in wording on the back of the flyer. "There was a sense that the district wasn't being straightforward about whether or not they planned on doing some of these things regardless of whether or not a referendum passed," said a committee member, who recommended separating content into two columns: one listing "things being considered districtwide" and another listing "deeper reductions likely if the referendum fails." Jason said he and Melissa would revise the flyer and consult Jared before finalizing copy.

The committee also reviewed small-format distribution ideas: a 3-by-4 wallet card with brief messages for quick handouts at community sites and events, and plans to post materials on the district website where users can view content in their preferred language. Volunteers have been recruited for distribution; Melissa said about 15 people had committed and a kickoff meeting will be held Jan. 22 at MATC to orient volunteers and distribute materials.

The committee assigned follow-up items including a final proofreading pass and a revision of the flyer’s back section to make explicit what changes are only likely if the referendum fails versus items the district is already considering. The group set a special planning meeting for Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. to review referendum progress and adjust outreach as needed.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the referendum itself during the session; members focused on outreach, translation and design details and set deadlines for finishing printed materials and web content.