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Survey: Wayzata residents overwhelmingly rate schools highly but many view taxes as high
Summary
A March 2025 representative phone survey of 400 Wayzata‑area residents showed high favorable ratings for the district and trust in financial management, but rising concern about total taxes and a sizable persuadable group on future tax requests, consultant Peter Leatherman reported April 29.
Peter Leatherman of the Morris Leatherman Company presented results of a March 2025 community satisfaction survey to the Wayzata Public Schools board on April 29, telling trustees the sample of 400 randomly selected residents is projectable to about ±5 percentage points.
Leatherman said residents rated the district strongly in multiple categories: 92% rate the quality of education favorably; 92% say schools increase property values; 83% say the district spends taxpayers' money effectively; and 89% said they trust the district to do what is right for children. "The district has a large reservoir of goodwill and trust when it comes to financial management," Leatherman told the board.
But the consultant also highlighted rising concern about taxes and household financial stress. Sixty‑three percent of respondents said total taxes are high, up substantially from prior years, and 22% said they would oppose any property tax increase. Leatherman emphasized the two factors likely to shape future funding asks statewide: household financial insecurity and property‑tax hostility.
The survey found that 31% of respondents have a child currently in the district and about 67% are "empty nesters" (no child at home); 60% of respondents were college graduates. Leatherman said roughly half of residents think the district is adequately funded, and about 47% remain persuadable on a hypothetical tax increase — a group he said boards must target with specific programmatic explanations.
On a test question that asked residents how much additional monthly property tax they'd accept for schools, responses clustered at $6, $12 and $18 per month; Leatherman summarized that typical willingness at the outset was roughly $150–$180 per year but cautioned that support depends heavily on the package of projects and priorities.
The survey asked awareness questions about enrollment growth and facilities. A majority said student enrollment had risen in the past 10 years and expected it to continue; respondents were aware that some middle schools face capacity concerns. Residents reported the district newsletter, website and email as leading sources of information; a notable share still want mailed mailers or printed newsletters.
Leatherman told the board the data give Wayzata a solid starting point for planning any potential facilities request — "you don't have a solution seeking a problem," he said — but stressed the need to move carefully, prioritize improvements that match community values (academic quality, program continuity, safety and deferred maintenance) and craft messages that convert "yes" into "strong yes."
Ending: The district said it would use the findings to inform facilities planning and communications; Leatherman and the consultant team will provide follow‑up materials and additional benchmarking for committees and the board.
