Insights
How Belpre City Schools Passed Their Bond Issue and What Your District Can Learn
After decades of trying, Belpre City Schools has achieved what once felt impossible: passing a bond issue. With a resounding 58% Yes vote in May 2025, the community greenlit a project to build a new 6–12 school, with plans to add a new elementary building when state funding becomes available. For a district with a long history of failed attempts, this win wasn’t just a victory; it was the culmination of years of persistence, strategic adaptation and community-driven momentum.
So how did they do it and what can other districts take away from their experience?
Grassroots Energy, Led by Parents
According to Superintendent Jeff Greenley, one of the most pivotal changes in this final campaign was the emergence of an organized, passionate group of elementary school parents. Grade-level captains took the lead in reaching out directly to fellow parents, creating a web of personalized communication across the school community.
Importantly, the group timed their public advocacy strategically, ramping up activities in the final two weeks of the campaign. The result was a groundswell of support that peaked precisely when it was most needed.
Lesson for other districts: Identify and empower your most invested advocates, often parents with young children — and give them the tools, structure, and strategy to speak to their peers.
Strong Local Leadership and Visible Support
In a stark change from prior campaigns, Belpre’s city council publicly endorsed the bond issue. Council members wrote and published six letters in support, signaling to voters that the school district had city leadership behind it.
This united front from community leaders sent a powerful message: this wasn’t just a school project — it was a community project.
Lesson for other districts: Cultivate broad, visible support from civic leaders early and often. When city councils, chambers of commerce, or local clergy speak up, it gives voters permission to believe in the vision.
Simple, Honest Visuals Made It Real
A rendering of the proposed new school, used only in the final stretch of the campaign, proved to be an effective communications tool. Community members, especially alumni and older voters, appreciated that the building looked “nice, but not too nice.” In other words, it represented responsible stewardship of public funds.
The rendering made the project feel tangible and helped shift abstract conversations about millage into something people could see and imagine.
Lesson for other districts: Visuals matter. When used thoughtfully and authentically, a rendering can speak across generations and help bridge the emotional gap between cost and value.
Persistence Pays Off
This was not Belpre’s first bond campaign. In fact, it was their seventh attempt. Between 1997 and 2023, the district endured a string of rejections, each one disappointing but each one providing valuable lessons. Even as recently as 2023, the district came close but still fell short with 48% support.
Instead of giving up, they refined their message, changed up their tactics, and remained transparent about the need: aging buildings from 1928 to 1969 that simply could not serve 21st-century education needs.
Lesson for other districts: Stay the course. Each failure can be a step toward future success if you’re willing to reflect, adjust, and try again.
Final Thoughts
Belpre City Schools didn’t win their bond issue overnight, they earned it through years of listening, learning, and leading with humility. Their story is a reminder that school funding campaigns aren’t just about millage rates and square footage. They’re about trust, timing, and tapping into the real reasons people care about schools.
If your district is gearing up for a bond campaign, consider taking a page from Belpre’s playbook: invest in your people, plan for the long game, and never underestimate the power of a well-timed rendering or a group of fired-up moms.
