1. DO tell a story. It's important for your community to see the "big picture." Look at your budget initiatives and create a THEME. Look for STORIES.

2. Get KIDS into your theme. GOOD: Improving our schools. BETTER: Blue ribbon kids deserve blue-ribbon schools.

3. DO keep it short and simple! Don't fall into the trap of using academic terms and acronyms. Primary Literacy Program? It's reading and writing for our youngest learners! Most people don't understand complex budget terms, so explain them.

4. DO connect your theme with the goals of your community. Why do people want to live in your town? Why do alumni want to have their children attend the schools they graduated from?

5. DON'T use negative words. Words like "TAX" in a budget theme bring up negative reactions.

6. DO focus your themes on priorities. Find issues that parents and the community members actually care about.

7. DO focus on 3 main "issues." The public can't comprehend more than that. Improving elementary reading performance, enhancing psychological services to middle school students and adding tennis courts can be summed up as Keeping Our Children Educated, Happy and Healthy.

8. DO consider all your audiences when creating your message. Look for message ideas that will be accepted by the LARGEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. Remember that senior citizens have grandchildren and neighbor children in your schools too.

9. DO make sure EVERYONE on your team understands the message. Hand out sample questions and work together to come up with answers that everyone can be comfortable saying.

10. DO ask for feedback. Does your audience understand your message? Ask people to explain how they feel by your communication materials.