FUNDRAISING
1. Can a PAC accept anonymous contributions?
No, all contributions must be tied to a person, company, or entity.
2. Does a cash donation under $50 from one person need to be itemized in the PAC report?
No, it is not legally required to itemize those, however it is a good idea to list all individual contributions/donations at the top of the report before listing vendor donations. When someone pulls the report, it looks much better to see all the individual community members who donated to the cause rather than only seeing big vendors who would potentially benefit if the bond passes.
ETHICS + ELECTIONEERING
1. Is electioneering allowed on district property?
It is not allowed on any district property unless it’s a polling site. Anything presented on district property must be factual and not express advocacy.
2. How far must PAC presence (including signs, paraphernalia) be from the door at polling sites?
All PAC members, signage, etc. must be at least 100 feet away from polling sites. There are usually signs at polling sites marking that barrier.
3. Can school districts advocate for or against a bond?
School districts can not advocate for or against a bond, they can only present facts. They can not say or publish anything that says "vote for," "support," "reject," "we need your support," or any similar phrase since it implies advocacy. The district can encourage people to vote, but must be clear not to imply, encourage, or allude to a certain way of voting. Take a look at the Texas Ethics Commission Brochure for a quick overview on what a school district can and cannot do when advertising an election.
4. Can PTO/As and HOAs advocate for or against a bond?
PTO/As and HOAs can advocate for or against a bond. Non-profits, even when associated with school districts, are allowed to advocate for or against ballot measures (ex. bonds and TREs), but not candidates. You can find more information backing this up here.
5. When does a political advertising disclaimer need to be used?
Any PAC material that is communicating support or opposition of a ballot measure and that appears in flyers, pamphlets, signs, newspapers, magazines, or similar forms of written communication. Any advertising that is broadcast by radio or television or appears on an internet website must also include the disclaimer. Anytime advertising includes words such as "vote for," "support," "defeat," "say yes," etc. it constitutes express advocacy and, therefore, requires a political advertising disclaimer. The disclaimer must include the words "political advertising" or the abbreviation "pol. adv." and the political action committee authorizing (or paying for) the advertising.
6. Can a school district employee advocate for or against a bond?
An employee of the school district can advocate for or against the bond, but must do so on their own time, off school property and without the use of any school resources (ex. cannot send an email from their school account expressing advocacy of the bond or use a school printer to print out fliers).
VOTERS
1. Who is eligible to vote in a TRE or school bond election?
Any registered voter that resides within the school district boundaries is eligible to vote. If any of those voters are registered in the district, but not currently there to vote (ex. students away for college), they can mail in an absentee ballot.
2. How can you register voters?
Visit this website to download an application and mail it to your county registrar.
3. Can you get a list of all registered voters within your district?
Yes, this is all public information and can be requested by anyone. You can either contact your county's elections clerk to request a list of all the registered voters in your school district or explore the county's elections office website to see if that information is already available to view and/or download.
BONDS
1. What is a bond?
A bond is similar to a home mortgage. It is a contract to repay borrowed money with interest over time. School bonds are usually used for large capital projects such as land purchases, design, renovation, and construction of new schools, and other significant upgrades to school districts (ex. purchasing new school buses).
2. Why is there a bond election?
School districts are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital dollars required for projects such as renovation to existing buildings or building a new school. Essentially, the voters are giving permission for the district to take out a loan and pay that loan back over an extended period of time.
3. What can bond funds be used to pay for?
Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing facilities, land acquisition, technology infrastructure and equipment for new or existing buildings.
4. Can bond funds be used to pay salaries?
No, bond funds cannot be used for salaries or operating costs, such as utility bills, supplies, building maintenance, fuel and insurance.
TAXES
1. How do public school taxes work?
Public school taxes involve two figures: Maintenance and Operations (M&O), used to pay salaries, utilities, furniture, supplies, food, gas, etc.; and Interest and Sinking (I&S), used to repay debt for capital improvements. Bond elections only affect the I&S tax rate.
2. How will taxes impact you if you are over 65?
If you are over the age of 65 and have applied for and received the Age 65 Freeze on your homestead, by law, the total amount of your school taxes cannot be raised above their capped level.