Internal discussions around finances are strong, but public understanding is limited.
Focus group participants reported frequent, detailed internal conversations about school finance, but noted that public understanding is often limited. Budget information is typically posted online to meet state requirements, but these materials can be dense and difficult for non-technical audiences to navigate.
Stakeholders care more about impact than line items.
Community members are rarely looking for detailed ledger-level explanations. Instead, they want to understand the “why” and “so what” behind financial decisions—how choices affect students, staff, and services. Without clear context connecting dollars to outcomes, even well-prepared financial information may not be understood.
Effectiveness often depends more on collaboration between SBOs and communications staff than on formal processes.
Early communication involvement makes a difference.
In many districts, SBOs lead financial communication, particularly when no communications professional is available. Participants noted this can make messages overly technical, hard to follow, or disconnected from community concerns. When communications staff are involved early, messages are clearer, more accessible, and better aligned with community needs.
Simplicity builds trust.
SBOs and communicators agreed that trust is built through clarity, not volume.
Participants consistently pointed to:
- The value of simplified summaries over detailed line-item explanations.
- The effectiveness of visuals, brief overviews, and repetition.
- The importance of clearly explaining the “why” behind financial decisions.
Highly technical language, acronyms, and dense presentations were widely viewed as barriers to understanding, even if the information is accurate.
Relationships between finance and communications teams drive success.
Effectiveness often depends more on collaboration between SBOs and communications staff than on formal processes. Close working relationships, informal check-ins, and shared context lead to stronger coordination and more strategic messaging. When communications staff are empowered to ask questions, attend finance briefings, and help shape materials, financial communication is more timely, aligned, and effective.
Knowing the audience shapes strategy.
Community culture, political context, and language needs all influence how financial information is received. Strategies such as advisory councils, translated materials, and culturally responsive framing were identified as ways to improve understanding and engagement across diverse audiences.
Visuals and repetition reinforce understanding.
Data alone is rarely enough. Focus group participants agreed that presenting financial information in multiple formats and reinforcing it over time helps connect decisions to tangible outcomes, including student opportunities, staff retention, and health and safety. Visual tools such as charts, timelines, photos, and short videos were cited as particularly effective.
Looking Ahead
These discussions highlighted shared challenges and practical opportunities for improving school finance communication.
To build on these insights, ASBO International and NSPRA developed a four-part toolkit that provides tools, examples, and guidance to help finance and communication teams collaborate more effectively, improve clarity, and strengthen community understanding of school finance topics.