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October 21, 2011 THISWEEK
Education
Public gives District 191 higher marks in new opinion survey
Survey shows support for upcoming levy renewal by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
With a levy renewal election just around the corner, School District 191 gets high marks in a public opinion survey that suggests the levy has a strong chance of passing. Fifty percent of respondents support and 33 percent strongly support levy renewal, according to a phone survey of 400 residents taken in August by polling firm Decision Resources Ltd. Voters in the BurnsvilleEagan-Savage district are being asked in the Nov. 8 election to extend a current levy, not raise new taxes. But the survey suggests a majority of residents would pay more if programs and services were at risk. The level of hostility to property taxes is “benign,� William Morris of Decision Resources told the School Board Oct. 13. The survey shows a sharp rise in approval ratings for the school system compared with 2007, when Decision Resources last surveyed District 191 residents, Morris said. “Overall, this is really an abrupt change from four years ago,� he said. “It really marks a transition point.� The district is seeking renewal of $10 million in
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Only 9 percent answered “excellent� in 2007, Morris said. “Over a four-year period, that’s a statistically significant change,� he said. Two percent of respondents said the quality is “poor� and 11 percent said “only fair.� Asked to compare school quality now with five years ago, 45 percent said “about the same,� 26 percent said “better� and 14 percent said “worse.� Asked about district spending, 56 percent of respondents agreed that the district spends effectively and efficiently, compared with 43 percent in 2007, Morris said. Twenty-six percent disagreed. Approval ratings for the School Board came in at 58 percent “positive.� Ratings were 62 percent for the superintendent, Randy Clegg, and his administration; 68 percent for district principals; and 84 percent for teachers. “Everything has improved in the past four years,� Morris said. “People are much more comfortable and much more trusting about how the school district is operating these days.� John Gessner is at burnsville. thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
Eastview chemistry teacher honored
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levy authority first approved by voters in 2001. The levy, which expires in 2013, would extend a tax of $846 per pupil for another decade. The survey shows a tolerance for even higher taxes – and less hard-core opposition to higher taxes than four years ago, Morris said. Asked about their predisposition toward a levy referendum, 62 percent of respondents voiced support. Nineteen percent voiced opposition, a number that exceeded 30 percent in the 2007 survey, Morris said. “This is a real turnaround from where we were four years ago,� he said. Given a range of tax increases they’d support, the median sum respondents gave was $6.05 per month. That’s the “highest median level we’ve found anywhere� in surveys of districts around the metro area, Morris said. On the same question, 27 percent said they’d support no increase, and 9 percent were unsure. Asked about the quality of their public schools, 61 percent answered “good� and 20 percent answered “excellent.� “The 81 percent is a significant increase from what we saw four years ago,� Morris said.
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Carolyn Fruin of Eastview High School was recently honored by the Society of Chemical Industry for outstanding work in science education. The award includes a cash stipend to
be used for classroom purposes. Fruin was chosen for the award based on consistent motivation and encouragement provided to students to pursue careers in chem-
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istry and chemical engineering. She was nominated by Andrew Wagner, a former student at Eastview High School.
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