Maple School District board votes to move forward with consultant survey to test capital referendum support

The Maple School District board voted on Sept. 8 to move forward with a consultant-led community survey designed to test voter support for a possible capital (building) referendum.

The board authorized the district to proceed after a presentation by consultant Ron Denise, who outlined a neutral, two-page-to-four-page mailed and online survey intended to educate residents about building needs and then ask two core questions: whether the district should explore a referendum and whether residents would support a draft dollar amount. Denise said the firm aims to keep the survey concise (targeting 1,400–1,600 words and, where feasible, a four-page mailed format) to maximize response rates and preserve neutrality because district funds are being used.

The consultant presented a production timeline that would put the mailed landing the week of Nov. 3, with printing targeted around Oct. 13, a survey deadline of Nov. 21 and a data/report delivery in early December (Dec. 8 was cited as the expected report date). He recommended including a 16-character household code in the mailing to limit one completed survey per household and a prepaid business-reply envelope for paper returns; paper responses would be processed directly by the consultant to preserve respondent confidentiality.

Denise said the survey would both educate (listing building needs such as HVAC, roofs, windows, parking and security upgrades) and measure willingness to support a capital plan. He presented an illustrative dollar figure of $18,900,000 as an example for the support question and noted the firm typically expects mid-to-upper-teens response rates, with statistical significance achievable at roughly 357 completed responses.

Board members pressed for clarity on cost and certain claims in the presentation. One member asked about an asserted reduction in state aid; a board member said the presentation indicated a 15% cut in state aid this year and another line in the presentation cited an illustration that state aid that tracked inflation would have yielded about $4,500,000 more for the district (roughly $3,500 per student). Board members explicitly requested that district staff (including the district finance contact) review and verify those projections before finalizing materials.

Board members also asked about household response controls and whether multiple household members could submit separate surveys; Denise said the mailing code system allows a second paper copy to be issued on request (with a different code) but cautioned multiple codes can create administrative complexity. The consultant said about 70% of responses are typically online, with paper responses concentrated among seniors, and recommended subgroup weighting to analyze parents, staff and nonparent voters separately.

A motion to proceed with the survey was made and seconded; the chair called for those in favor and the motion passed by voice vote. The board did not finalize contract dollar amounts at the meeting and asked staff to return with cost details (printing, postage, and number of drafts) and to confirm the final project list that would appear in mailed materials.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.