School District of West De Pere Community Survey Results Fall 2017
Survey Summary The survey was conducted in October of 2017. Residents within the District were mailed a paper survey. Each survey included a unique survey access code for those who preferred to take the survey online. Total responses = 2,134 (405 paper) Participation rate = 24%
Respondent Information
What is your age? 40% 38% 35% 30% 25% 20% 20% 23% 15% 10% 8% 10% 5% 0% 1% 18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-64 65+
Do you reside in the School District of West De Pere? 10% 90% Yes No
In which municipality do you reside? 45% 45% 40% 35% 30% 29% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 10% 7% 6% 3% 0%
Are you an employee of the School District of West De Pere? 18% 82% Yes No
Do you have child(ren) attending school in the District? 34% 66% Yes No
If you have school-aged children, what school(s) do they attend? 75% 60% 45% 30% 23% 32% 33% 38% 15% 0% 1% 4% 1% 0.33% 8% 3%
How would you like to receive information regarding the School District of West De Pere? Email 25% 88% District mailings 61% 87% Text messaging 6% 49% School/District website Automated phone messenger 3% 18% 21% 35% Non-Parents (Non-Staff) Facebook Parent organizations 9% 2% 5% 20% Parents (Non-Staff) Twitter 2% 4% Attend School Board meetings 3% 2% Green Bay Press Gazette 2% 18% Other 1% 0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Educational Excellence
Item Please tell us how well we are doing in the following areas: Great (4), Good (3), Fair (2), Poor (1) Staff Parents (Non-Staff) Non-Parents (Non-Staff) Delivering a high-quality educational experience 3.75 3.65 3.47 Building pride in our community 3.70 3.57 3.43 Maintaining school facilities 3.48 3.59 3.42 Using technology to enhance the learning experience 3.64 3.55 3.35 Providing a welcoming and safe learning environment 3.71 3.56 3.31 Hiring and retaining high-quality staff 3.60 3.52 3.27 Preparing students for life after high school 3.54 3.29 3.13 Keeping the public informed 3.36 3.31 3.05 Meeting all students' social and emotional needs 3.24 3.22 2.97 Spending tax dollars wisely 3.39 3.27 2.85
Overall, how satisfied are you with the School District of West De Pere? (All Respondents) 75% 60% 50% 45% 30% 30% 15% 12% 2% 6% 0% Very unsatisfied Not satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied No opinion
Financial Planning Background
The District is about to pay off the loans associated with updating Westwood Elementary as well as the middle and high school that were approved by the community through a referendum in May, 2000. As a result, beginning in 2020, the debt portion of the school property tax bill will begin to drop. In 2026, the District will be debt free. This drop in loan payments gives the community an opportunity to borrow up to $51 million for facility upgrades with little or no tax increase over the current level. The school board believes this is a good time to consider a referendum because the District s debt is being paid off and interest rates remain near historical lows.
What advice would you give the school board regarding District facilities? (Residents Only) 100% 92% 80% 74% 76% 60% 59% 40% 20% 7% 2% 5% 15% 19% 6% 19% 26% 0% Explore a referendum to update and expand our schools Do nothing at this time Undecided/would need more information All Residents Staff Parents (Non-Staff) Non-Parents (Non-Staff)
Facility Options
How much of a tax impact would you support through a referendum for Option 1, assuming the projects included were acceptable to you? 50% Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff) 21% 16% 18% 8% 21% 16% $100 million $80 million Parent Residents (Non-Staff) 33% 21% 17% 4% 20% 3% $60 million Staff Residents 45% 26% 15% 1% 11% 2% I would only support a smaller referendum I'm not sure/need more information All Residents 31% 21% 17% 5% 20% 6% I would not support any referendum 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Would you support a plan to build a new high school? (Residents Only) 100% 80% 60% 47% 60% 50% 45% 40% 20% 30% 26% 27% 22% 20% 18% 30% 25% 0% Yes No Undecided All Residents Staff Parents (Non-Staff) Non-Parents (Non-Staff)
How much of a tax impact would you support through a referendum for Option 2, assuming the projects included were acceptable to you? 50% Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff) 18% 8% 9% 17% 48% $115.3 million $103.3 million Parent Residents (Non-Staff) 26% 14% 14% 25% 21% $89.2 million Staff Residents 33% 16% 16% 12% 23% I'm not sure/need more information All Residents 24% 13% 13% 21% 29% I would not support any referendum 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Additional Analysis for Option 2: Building a New High School Percent of Resident Population Assumptions: - Non-parent/non-staff = 75% - Parents = 25% - Staff < 1% Of those responding either Definitely yes, or Probably yes:.75(35%) +.25(54%) = 39.75%
Thank you!