Archive: Around Town

If you attended a school concert last week you probably saw Maureen Bell handing out surveys asking your opinion about the various issues concerning the upcoming school district capital project.  They were also available at the school offices, Town Hall, the Pit Stop, The Cinnamon Shop, Curves, and on-line.  Post cards alerting all district residents were mailed and notice was in the bulletin that was also sent to all school district residents.  Bell personally handed out 1000 surveys, but when the results came in only 258 responded.

This set off a debate in the facilities committee Wednesday about the scientific validity of the survey.  Bell said she had consulted Cornell statistician Cindy van Es, who told her that it is considered scientific, but does not represent the whole community.  She called it a 'self-sampled' survey.  Still Bell said that the results, including 50 pages worth of comments, provided some valuable information to the committee.  In an e-mail School Board member Christine Iacobucci challenged the validity of the results, but agreed there is some value in them.  "What may provide the most useful information from the surveys are the open-ended comments," she said, noting that the survey should be considered a first step in an ongoing discussion with the community.

Superintendent Mark Lewis noted that the survey probably represents likely voters, so it may be more valid in terms of people who will weigh in at the polls.  Most respondents were between the ages of 35 and 54, and the majority said they would vote for the capital project if it were at or below $20 million (which would come to approximately $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed home value.

In the High School 68% of respondents favored building and/or renovating classrooms, but a majority of 52% does not want to rent portable classrooms.  57% favor building or renovating art and music classrooms.  81% support building or renovating science classrooms.  58% said they would not support building additional pool locker rooms.

In the Middle School results were similar.  58% would support building or renovating art and music classrooms.  61% support relocating technology classrooms from the rickety technology building behind the school.  67% supported new or renovated science rooms.

Respondents were split on whether to build a new district office or relocate it within an existing school building.  They were less well disposed toward improving parking and traffic access.  But they were generally well disposed toward upgrading technology, with 60% in favor of upgrading the Ethernet switching network and 54% in favor of that as well as adding wireless capability to the system.

Bell said that the survey results, including the comments, will soon be posted on the Capital Project page on the school Web site.  Meanwhile the facilities committee was given a printout of the question results, less the comments (which they will be able to access on the Web site).  They expect to have some time to digest the community input before their next meeting, when they will begin to develop the integrated scope list for the project.


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