While the district has kept city officials and business groups informed about its facilities needs, the governance and funding of the school district and the city are completely separate. The school district is governed by the elected representatives on the Board of Education. The city is governed by the City Council, which includes a mayor and commissioners. While staff from the city and the school district often work together, for example, in the area of joint purchasing, it is difficult to do this with financing. The city and the school district are governed by different laws.
Many factors enter into decisions to put levies or bond issues before voters.
It is up to the voters to decide which projects they will support. The finances of a school district are very specifically defined and highly regulated by law. Any citizen has access to the district's budget and financial accounting reports. The Gazette publishes payments and receipts, the Certified Annual Financial Report is on the district web site and available in hard copy, and financial reports are included at every board meeting. Special times for public comment on the budget are publicized in the media - although citizen comment is welcomed at any board meeting.