Commo I - Why this workshop is important

“Budget Communications
to the School and Community Publics"

Why This Workshop is Important

Budget communication is a process that begins long before a budget is formulated. How district administrators communicate--and how they are perceived by the voters--directly impacts the attitudes of the voting public.

Budgets not only reflect tax rates--they are a referendum on the district’s leadership. What you say - and don’t say - during this critical time will leave an imprint on your district residents long after the votes are counted. In this workshop, you gain the skills to formulate and lead a campaign that will inspire the confidence of voters and lead to a successful budget passage.

The annual school budget process offers superintendents an opportunity to tell your school’s story and emphasize your district’s mission, priorities and accomplishments.

You will learn how to:
* determine the perception of the voters long before it becomes a critical issue communicate with employees and determine the district employees that residents trust most
* encourage an apathetic public to vote
* craft honest and believable messages for an increasingly skeptical public
* create the messages that give a clear understanding of the key budget issues
* write so that voters will understand complex financial issues
* deal with unfounded rumors and single-issue board candidate accusations
* determine the best vehicles for communication

Workshop Faculty

Diane Zielinski
Community Relation Specialist

Diane Zielinski is a highly regarded professional communications specialist with extensive background in both news reporting and educational public relations. Her wealth of experience include 8 years as a newspaper reporter covering local school districts followed by 2 years as a Bureau Chief for United Press International in Syracuse. Following that she worked for 10 years on the communications staff of Rochester Institute of Technology where she promoted RIT’s high-tech engineering and imaging arts and sciences to both local and national media and wrote award winning recruitment publications.

More recently Diane worked in private industry as Marketing Communications Manager for Danka Services International where as part of the international team she trained company administrators and regional managers in written and electronic communication for both internal and external audiences.

Diane is currently the Communication Specialist for a large suburban school district.

Ms. Zielinski possesses a quick wit and sense of humor that helps her put communication strategies and skill in professional perspective. She holds the interest of her audience sharing practical knowledge and meaningful anecdotal experience.

Workshop Sponsors

Superintendent Support Programs
Steuben-Allegany BOCES (LEA)