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Community survey: majority support tax increase in concept; awareness of $21M cuts limited in August
Summary
A Morris Leatherman survey of 500 residents (±4.5%) found 72% would support a property tax increase 'in concept' to protect district investments, but only 41% were aware in August that the district faced $21 million in cuts; parents prioritized small class sizes and basics while many respondents rated district communication positively.
Consultant Peter Leatherman presented results of a community survey conducted in August with 500 randomly selected residents and a parent subsample of 400. The survey is projectable at ±4.5% (95% confidence) for the full sample; nonresponse was around 6%.
Key findings included overall favorable ratings of the district (combined "good" and "excellent" responses around 84% in the metric Leatherman reported), concerns about property taxes (15–20% cited this as most serious), and mixed opinions about school start times. On tax tolerance, Leatherman reported 72% of the August respondents indicated they would support a property tax increase "to protect their investment in the Anoka Hennepin Schools" in concept, with 23% opposed and 5% unsure; he cautioned that support depends heavily on the dollar amount and the stated priorities of any request.
Leatherman also reported limited awareness in August of the $21 million of potential budget cuts—about 41% said they were aware—an awareness level likely to have changed since the survey date. Parents emphasized "basics," smaller class sizes, and mental‑health supports as priorities. Leatherman recommended focusing referendum messaging on needs vs. wants, and on the specific consequences to programs and services should a funding request fail.
Board members asked method questions (open‑ vs closed‑ended items and sampling) and thanked the consultant for the community‑opinion data.
