East Troy Community School District Community Survey Results Fall 2018

Survey Summary The survey was conducted in late November of 2018. Residents within the District were mailed a paper survey. Each survey included a unique survey access code for those who preferred to take the survey online. Total responses = 1,188 (508 paper) Participation rate = 20% Margin of error = +/- 2.9%

Respondent Information

What is your age?

Do you live in the East Troy Community School District?

In which municipality do you reside?

Are you an employee of the District?

Do you have children attending school in the District?

Please mark ALL other relationships you have with the District:

How would you like to receive information from the District?

Overall Satisfaction

Non-Parents (Non-Staff) Please tell us how well you believe we are doing in each of the following areas: Great (4), Good (3), Fair (2), Poor (1) Item Staff Parents (Non-Staff) Non-Parents (Non-Staff) Delivering a high-quality educational experience 3.15 3.09 3.07 Providing a safe and welcoming learning environment 3.13 3.03 Meeting the needs of all students 2.84 2.86 2.92 Hiring and retaining high-quality staff 2.85 2.93 Keeping the public informed 2.81 2.89 2.40

Overall, how satisfied are you with the East Troy Community School District? (All Respondents)

Financial Background

For more than 10 years, the District has been dealing with ongoing budget shortfalls and the changing academic needs of our students. In an effort to balance our budget, we have made some difficult decisions including: • Increasing class sizes • Eliminating classes and course offerings with lower student participation • Decreasing employee benefits • Reducing school and building budgets • Postponing building maintenance These efforts represent more than $6.3 million in budget reductions. Even with these cuts, the District is forecasting an annual budget shortfall for operations and maintenance of $4.5 million over the next 3 years. To address future budget shortfalls, the District is considering pursuing an operational referendum. Unlike a capital referendum, which provided funding for the construction of Little Prairie Primary School, an operational referendum is used to fund daily operating expenses. Based on current projections, if the community does not support an operational referendum, additional cuts to expenses would be needed.

What advice would you give the school board What advice would you give the school board? (East Troy Community School District Residents Only)

Funding to Support Operations

If the community supports the District pursuing an operational referendum, the School Board identified the following items as the most pressing needs: • Maintaining course offerings and services • Addressing critical maintenance projects • Maintaining class sizes • Maintaining the technology replacement cycle • Retaining high quality staff Estimated cost: $1.5 million per year

Would you support a $1.5 million operational referendum to maintain programs and services for each of the next three years? Representing an estimated annual increase of $98 for each $100,000 of a home’s value over the current level. All Residents

Would you support a $1.5 million operational referendum to maintain programs and services for each of the next three years? Representing an estimated annual increase of $98 for each $100,000 of a home’s value over the current level. Staff Residents

Would you support a $1.5 million operational referendum to maintain programs and services for each of the next three years? Representing an estimated annual increase of $98 for each $100,000 of a home’s value over the current level. Parent Residents (Non-Staff)

Would you support a $1.5 million operational referendum to maintain programs and services for each of the next three years? Representing an estimated annual increase of $98 for each $100,000 of a home’s value over the current level. Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff)

Budget Reduction Options

Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff) The following list identifies budget reduction options should a referendum not be supported. Yes (10), No (1) Item All Residents Staff Residents Parent Residents (Non-Staff) Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff) Should curriculum and textbook updates be reduced or postponed to save money? 5.46 5.34 4.57 6.11 Should the technology replacement cycle be delayed to save money? 5.38 4.87 4.58 6.02 Should staff salaries be frozen to save money? 4.55 2.57 3.76 5.52 Should class sizes be increased to save money? 3.94 1.68 3.02 5.01 Should college/AP/elective courses be reduced or eliminated to save money? 4.10 3.15 3.18 4.93 Should elementary/middle school course offerings be reduced to save money? 3.46 2.45 2.63 4.26

Additional Projects

Decrease Class Sizes With additional funding, the District could reduce elementary class sizes to a maximum of 20 students in 4- & 5-year-old kindergarten and 25 students in 1st – 5th grade. Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $15 for each $100,000 of a home’s value. Expand Course Offerings With additional funding, the District could expand course offerings, including: • Elementary and Middle School Foreign Language • Business Education Electives (such as: Marketing and Business Law) Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $10 for each $100,000 of a home’s value. Additional Building Maintenance This current budget does not provide funding to replace some of the school’s major building systems that have exceeded their service life. With additional funding, the District could update heating/ ventilation and lighting systems to improve efficiencies as well as replace roof sections. Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $10 for each $100,000 of a home’s value.

Enhance Middle School Building Security With additional funding, the District could redesign the middle school entrance to better control visitor access. Lockable interior doors could also be added to partition off sections of the school. Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $7.50 for each $100,000 of a home’s value. Enhance Middle School Science Areas With additional funding, the District could renovate and modernize the middle school science areas to provide more hands-on learning opportunities. Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $5 for each $100,000 of a home’s value. Remodel/Add High School Classrooms and Support Areas In 2012, an investment was made in the high school. However, due to budget limitations at that time, the following projects remain: • Remodel the Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) classroom • Add 2 classrooms, business education and science/agriculture • Upgrade the cafeteria and library Representing an additional annual tax mill rate increase of $9 for each $100,000 of a home’s value.

Please respond to the following questions. Yes (10), No (1) Item All Residents Staff Residents Parent Residents (Non-Staff) Non-Parent Residents (Non-Staff) Would you support a referendum that provides funding to enhance middle school security? 6.24 6.88 7.01 5.56 Would you support a referendum that provides funding to address annual building maintenance needs? 6.32 8.06 7.10 5.51 Would you support a referendum that provides funding to enhance middle school science areas? 5.74 7.28 6.65 4.88 Would you support a referendum that decreases class sizes? 5.22 7.67 6.19 4.13 Would you support a referendum that provides funding to update the high school (remodel/add classrooms and support areas)? 4.38 6.18 5.33 3.43 Would you support a referendum that provides funding to expand course offerings? 4.25 5.32 3.33

Funding Support

The referendum additional annual tax mill rate increase to address all the projects identified in the survey is estimated at $154.50 for each $100,000 of a home’s value. Given the cost, the projects may need to be completed in phases, based on the priorities of the community and its willingness to financially support the projects.

How much of a tax increase would you support through a referendum, assuming the projects included were acceptable to you? (East Troy Community School District Residents Only) 50%

What did we learn? If the District decides to pursue a referendum, it should have a tax impact less than $98 per 100,000 of assessed property value. This funding should primarily be used to: enhance middle school security address annual building maintenance needs enhance middle school science areas maintain course offerings

Thank you!