MASTER PLAN - SCIENTIFIC SURVEY SUMMARY

Summary

At its core, this survey reveals a patron population that seems generally satisfied with the current performance of the District and its people. While they may suggest they’d like to feel more involved in decision-making (and they have the news “appetite” to affirm that they are, indeed, interested in District news), they send several signals that they believe the District is functioning well. Specifically:

• They give the District a high percentage of “benefit-of-the-doubt” support for the idea of a bond issue – before they know any details.

• They are strongly supportive of five of the 10 ideas presented, and somewhat more modestly supportive of three others.

• Even though they clearly have some questions about the two athletic projects being considered (renovated PE space, and renovations at the Don Michael facility), their support for the idea of a bond issue increases measurably after all the details have been shared.

• The tax component of this proposal appears to be significantly less important to patrons than their views on the wisdom of the ideas being discussed. Those who like the ideas – which, at the present time, is the majority of the patrons on the majority of the ideas – appear fairly willing to pay the highest tax level. Those who do not, aren’t particularly swayed by the possibility of lower tax rates.

The key question, therefore, does not appear to be whether the patrons – speaking in March 2006 – will support a bond issue to be decided later this year. For the time being, they have said that a bond issue that includes projects from the list that they believe to be a good idea will get their support.

But what about the two that are more questionable in their eyes – at least as of today? Are they merely projects which require additional explanation, or are they ideas which have the potential to negatively impact the support needed to bring about passage?

The data would seem to suggest that if they are only questions, rather than objections, the questions are significant at this time. The percentages of “more likely to vote against” patrons on these two issues are a bit too close for comfort to the percentage of fans of these items. And, these two projects were the least likely of all the projects to turn “no” votes into “yes” votes, and the most likely to turn “yes” votes into “no” votes.