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Community survey shows majority support for Elmbrook referendum plans; board to use results in June deliberations
Summary
A School Perceptions poll presented to the Elmbrook School District board found broad support among staff and parents for exploring a building referendum and majority weighted support for both a $100 million comprehensive plan and a lower-cost two-school plan; the board set June meetings to review draft facility plans and next steps.
Bill Foster of School Perceptions presented preliminary results of a community survey to the Elmbrook School District board, saying, “We had 2,915 responses which gave us a response rate of 15.4%,” and noting a margin of error of about ±1.85%.
The survey tested two referendum scenarios. Foster said a comprehensive four-school plan with a reported tax impact of about $0.11 (11 cents) produced a weighted support level of roughly 67% after adjusting for the district’s mix of parents and nonparent residents. A smaller two-school plan that would not increase the current tax rate tested at about 62% support in the weighted analysis. Foster told the board the results are “locked down” statistically and that additional paper surveys coming in were unlikely to change the broad picture.
School Perceptions’ consultant Chris and board members walked through subgroup results: staff showed the strongest support (roughly 82% for exploring a referendum), parents were near that level (about 78%), and the nonparent/nonstaff group—the survey’s so-called “purple” group of taxpayers—was less supportive but still showed majority backing for exploring a referendum in the comprehensive scenario. Foster explained the firm’s weighting assumptions (using an estimated 30% parents/70% nonparents split) and said that, with those weights, the district landed at about 67% support for the $100M concept.
Board members pressed for more cross-tabs. Trustee Jean asked about how many households requested paper codes; Foster said that figure was small (under 40) and that the company would add cross-tabs by age and attendance area in the final report. Trustee Mary and others highlighted the importance of reaching older residents, and Foster agreed to add an age-cohort cross-tab to the final deliverable.
The consultants also reviewed comment analysis and next steps. Chris said the firm will complete thematic coding of open comments after all paper surveys are entered and will deliver common themes for use in communications. “Our plan would be to use those themes then to develop communication strategies,” he said. The board scheduled a June 2 discussion of the draft 20-year facility plan and indicated a June 16 discussion of referendum options and communications; final action on a referendum resolution, if desired, would come later (the consultants discussed a July board approval timeline to support fall voting schedules).
Why it matters: the survey gives the district a data-based window into community appetite for a large facilities investment and outlines who the outreach will need to reach most—nonparent taxpayers and undecided voters. The consultants cautioned that undecided respondents historically lean toward no at the ballot, a factor the board said it will consider in outreach planning.
What’s next: School Perceptions will finalize comment-theme analysis and expanded cross-tabs in June; Bray/CG Schmidt communications partners will support the district on messaging if the board proceeds with a referendum timeline.
