Survey shows voters balked at $230 million bond; safety and transparency top concerns
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Summary
A Kent ISD survey for Rockford Public Schools found respondents perceived the proposed $230 million bond as too large and prioritized safety, security and infrastructure repairs over new athletic facilities. Survey authors said transparency and financial accountability were recurring themes among comments.
Kent ISD officials presented results of a community survey to the Rockford Public Schools board, saying the district—ailed to win support for a $230 million bond largely because residents viewed the amount as too high and wanted priority spending on safety and repairs rather than athletic facilities.
Ron Norman, superintendent of Kent ISD, told the board that almost 3,000 responses were collected and that the highest-response question asked whether the district clearly explained why a bond was needed rather than relying on the general fund. "November 2025, Rockford residents voted against a $230,000,000 bond," Norman said as he reviewed the survey origins and response rates.
David Storr, Kent ISD irector of assessment, summarized the data visuals and open-ended comments, saying the quantitative averages leaned low on support for the full proposal but that open responses revealed clear themes. "Upgrading safety and security measures was really the number one thing," Storr said, and he added that many respondents wanted the district to emphasize essential repairs over new construction.
Storr highlighted two related findings: a plurality of respondents said the proposed total was too high, and many open-ended comments described concerns about transparency and the perception that athletics were prioritized ahead of academic or safety needs. He said roughly half of respondents viewed the $230 million amount as excessive and that about six in 10 respondents would have supported a bond that either modified or removed certain projects.
Kent ISD staff recommended further qualitative analysis before the district drafts a revised proposal and said the full dataset and presentation would be posted on the district website. Norman and Storr said they will return to the board in April with refined themes and possible next steps for a new survey cycle.
The presentation did not include a formal recommendation to put a new bond before voters this year; instead the ISD team framed the work as diagnostic, designed to identify community priorities and guide next steps. The board did not take action on a new bond at the meeting and was told the district will post the survey materials and consider additional public engagement before pursuing any revised bond plan.
