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Mid Dell board vice president credits community input for 2023 bond priorities
Summary
Shelley Schultz says participation in four bond steering committee meetings and community tabletop exercises in 2023 helped prioritize school capital projects; she thanked voters for approving bond funding and described touring aging elementary schools to set priorities.
Shelley Schultz, vice president of the Mid Dell School Board, described her role in the district's 2023 bond process and said community involvement shaped which projects were prioritized. "When we had our bond steering committees in 2023, we had 4 meetings that spring, January, February, March, and April," Schultz said, adding that tabletop exercises showed strong consensus for certain projects: "10 out of 10 tables said, Newtown Elementary School."
Schultz said she visited project sites along Post Road and that seeing construction progress made the bond effort feel personal: "Our community trusted us with bond money for our schools." Hosts recalled taking community groups on tours of older schools (built in the 1950s) and newer facilities to help voters understand needs. The steering process, Schultz said, included diverse community representation at planning tables and follow-up meetings to refine priorities ahead of the 2023 election.
Schultz encouraged other districts planning bonds to replicate the process of involving residents early, allocating a clear dollar amount and showing how that money would be applied. She said that visible community engagement and clear options helped build support at the ballot box.
