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Arrowhead board opts for district 'on point' bulletin and survey instead of hiring $20,000 communications firm
Summary
After debating a $20,000 Miller Communications proposal, the Arrowhead UHS School District board agreed to publish an in‑house educational "on point" bulletin and proceed with a community survey targeted for late September, with the bulletin issued about a month earlier.
The Arrowhead UHS School District board debated whether to hire Miller Communications to run public outreach ahead of a potential referendum but settled on using an in‑house informational bulletin and a community survey instead. Chair (S2) said the central question was whether “the board would like to see a communications piece go out prior to the survey.”
Superintendent Farner (S4) told the board the administration had provided Miller’s proposal but that the vendor would not reduce the minimum scope below $20,000. Farner recapped district results earlier in the meeting and framed outreach as an educational step leading into the survey. “This level of excellence reflects not only exceptional student effort, but also the unwavering commitment, expertise, and passion of our teachers,” Farner said while reviewing AP results as context for community communications.
Some board members pushed back on the $20,000 fee. Miller (S7) said the amount “was too much,” arguing the district could handle some outreach administratively and that professional services might be more appropriate only after a favorable survey result. Other members countered that professional marketing could improve understanding and turnout, and noted past survey return rates of roughly 14–20 percent; Miller observed that a 20 percent response typically yields a sample “highly indicative” of community sentiment.
The board reached consensus to produce an "on point" multi‑page educational bulletin (digital and print) to be distributed roughly a month before a late‑September survey; administrators agreed to link it on the district website and include QR codes for quick access. The administration said it can meet the production timeline if work proceeds immediately.
Next steps: the survey questions and structure will be reviewed at the combined committee meeting next week; the board directed staff to prepare the on‑point bulletin for distribution in August and to proceed with the September survey timeline.
