Newberg School District’s Levy Messaging Raises Questions About Advocacy Under Oregon Law

By Rebecca Wallis

Newberg, OR – March 25, 2026

Newberg-Dundee Public Schools is using district-funded communications, a dedicated website, and repeated messaging across multiple platforms to promote its May 2026 local option levy, raising questions about whether the district’s outreach remains informational or crosses into advocacy under Oregon law.

The district is paying a Portland-based public relations firm, Wright Public Affairs LLC, to create and maintain the website newbergschoolslevy.org, which outlines the purpose of the levy and the consequences if it does not pass.

In a March 18, 2026 email, Superintendent Dave Parker confirmed the district is funding the site.

A message carried across every platform

The levy website is not a standalone resource. It is embedded throughout district communications.

The district directs the public to the site through:

• Parent emails sent February 13 and March 6
• Weekly district newsletters
• School-level newsletters titled This Week in Newberg Nation
• Multiple posts on the district’s official Facebook page
• A mobile pop-up on the district website
• The superintendent’s official email signature block

In his February 13 letter to families, Superintendent Parker wrote:

“We will be providing regular updates and factual information about this levy at NewbergSchoolsLevy.org.”

That same message emphasizes the district’s projected financial shortfall and the consequences if additional funding is not approved:

“If we don’t bring in additional revenue, we will need to make further reductions… These reductions would affect staffing, instructional days, class sizes, and the overall learning environment for students.”

Similar language appears repeatedly across district communications.

Consistent framing: funding gap and consequences

Across platforms, the district’s messaging centers on a projected $4.5 million funding gap and outlines potential outcomes if the levy fails.

Those outcomes include:

• Staffing reductions
• Larger class sizes
• Loss of programs
• Possible school closures

Event materials and communications also encourage community members to learn:

“why a levy is needed”

The repetition and framing of these messages, particularly the emphasis on negative consequences, raise questions about whether the communications are purely informational.

Where Oregon law draws the line

Oregon law allows public agencies to provide factual information about ballot measures. However, it prohibits the use of public resources to promote or oppose a measure.

Guidance from the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) underscores how careful districts must be.

According to OSBA’s election guidance:

Districts may provide factual information, but must avoid advocacy and should not use district resources to promote a political outcome.

The guidance also cautions districts about directing the public to additional messaging:

District websites and communications should not link to advocacy materials or otherwise function as a platform to influence voters.

That distinction, between providing information and promoting a desired outcome, is often determined by tone, repetition, and context.

A centralized campaign-style structure

In Newberg’s case, the district’s communications appear highly coordinated.

Messaging is repeated across:

• Official emails
• Social media
• Newsletters
• Website pop-ups
• Public events
• The superintendent’s routine email correspondence

All of these channels consistently direct the public to the same levy website.

That structure creates a centralized messaging system, using public resources, to reinforce a single narrative about the levy.

No disclosure on levy website

The levy website itself does not include a “Paid for by” disclaimer or identify who funded or authorized its content.

At the same time, a separate political action committee, Newberg Dundee Schools Levy (PAC ID 24839), was filed with the Secretary of State on March 10, 2026 in support of the same measure.

The relationship between publicly funded messaging and political campaign activity is not always clear, but both fall under Oregon election law.

An open question, not a conclusion

At issue is not whether the district can inform the public about a ballot measure, it can.

The question is whether the scope, tone, and repetition of the district’s messaging, combined with its use of public resources across nearly every communication channel, remain within legal limits.

Oregon’s Elections Division reviews complaints related to the use of public funds in election-related communications.

As the May election approaches, the Newberg levy effort may become a test case in where that line is drawn.

Photo Credit: Yamhill County News file