Armed with the results of a recently completed telephone survey, the Anacortes School District is looking at what to request in its next bond proposal.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us for the next few months,” said Dale Bowen, district director of personnel and operations.

The district’s facility committee met Monday for the first time since the $59.8 million bond request failed in April. The group will help the district determine what to ask for in a second bond request, which may happen in February. At least two other committee meetings will follow.

The district’s bond request received a 57.9 percent yes vote, just below the 60 percent supermajority required for the bond to pass.

The district requested the bond to renovate Anacortes High School and Mount Erie Elementary School and build a new maintenance facility.

Anacortes High School was in line for $51 million in work. Proposed upgrades included a renovation and reconfiguration of the existing school for $19.5 million, a new career and technology education wing for $23.9 million and improvements to athletic fields for $7.6 million, which included a premanufactured stadium as well as improvements to War Memorial Field and Rice Field.

Mount Erie Elementary School was in line for $7 million for construction of a new gymnasium.

The third part of the proposal was a $2.8 million maintenance and storage facility to replace the World War II-era building now in use.

Tom Eiland of Conkling Fiskum and McCormick presented findings of a telephone survey at the School Board meeting Sept. 27. The company, located in Portland, Ore., offers public affairs, strategic communications and research services. The company’s clients include 60 school districts in Idaho, Oregon and Washington as well as several universities, including the University of Washington.

They randomly surveyed 250 adults in August, asking questions about the bond and school facilities and general questions about the School District. The margin of error is 6.3 percent.

The survey results show 59 percent of respondents favored a $64 million proposal to make improvements at Anacortes High School, Mount Erie Elementary School, War Memorial and Rice Field and updating the maintenance building. That includes the work proposed in the April bond measure and adjusting the price for inflation. Thirty-three percent were opposed and 8 percent were undecided.

“That’s pretty strong support,” Eiland said. “That’s a good indication a bond has a strong chance of passing the community.”

Parents in favor of the proposal reached 68 percent — higher than needed to pass a bond but lower than the 70 percent-plus Eiland likes to see.

Sixty-seven percent of residents who have lived here less than five years favored the proposal and 66 percent of respondents age 35-54 favored the proposal.

Of the respondents who opposed the proposal, 46 percent cited concerns over taxes. That includes the project being too expensive, that taxes are too high, that there are too many projects and that the district should use other funding sources. About 25 percent said they felt the bond wasn’t necessary.

Eiland said the message the district should get is that people don’t know why the money needs to be spent on buildings and how that connects to education.

Fewer respondents, about 46 percent, favored a lower cost $50 million bond to update and expand the high school and make renovations to War Memorial. Forty-two percent opposed the proposal and 12 percent were undecided.

“Just because the cost is lower doesn’t mean the support is higher,” Eiland said.

He said he rarely sees support go up if money is cut. Citizens’ concern is about what they get and money often comes as a secondary issue.

When asked whether they supported specific projects, a whopping 77 percent reported favoring a high school remodel, which is estimated to cost $46 million.

A strong majority, 72 percent, also supported building a multi-purpose room, expanding the computer lab and replacing plumbing and drainage at Mount Erie for about $7.8 million.

Sixty-eight percent were in favor of adding exterior lighting, expanding the parking lot and improving the safety in the drop-off and pick-up lanes at Mount Erie for about $1 million.

Sixty-two percent were in favor of replacing the maintenance facility for $3.1 million and 48 percent were in favor of replacing the bleachers, sheltering the home-side seating, adding turf to War Memorial and completing Rice Field for about 6.5 million.

“If there’s any one weakness in the overall project it is updating War Memorial and Rice Field,” Eiland said.
The survey also asked respondents to rate facility priorities.

The high school was at the top of the list with 86 percent of respondents favoring building a new and expanding the existing technology labs, 83 percent favor expanding and upgrading science labs and 75 percent favor upgrading and enlarging classrooms. Seventy-five percent also favor renovating Brodniak Hall and 69 percent favor building a multi-purpose gym at Mount Erie. 

A resounding 81 percent favor updating wiring, Internet access, electricity and funding for new computers and software for about $4 million.

Eiland said he has rarely seen a school district bond pass when portions of the proposal are divided up like a menu. He said it is a greater benefit for the district to help community members see how the buildings will help programs.
He said the district should focus on areas they have influence over, such as the impact schools have on economic development.

“Good schools attract businesses and key jobs,” Eiland said.

Check out the entire presentation by visiting the Anacortes School District Web site at http://www.asd103.org. Click on the Results of Community Phone Survey button.

Respondents give district good grades
The Anacortes School District’s phone survey last month asked respondents general questions about the schools as well as their feelings about a bond request. The survey was done after the district’s $59.8 million bond failed in April.

Overall respondents had a positive view of the district and the education it is providing students.

For overall performance, 24 percent of respondents gave the district an A, 49 percent a B, 11 percent a C, 1 percent a D or F and 15 percent were not sure.

The total of 73 percent giving an A or B is among the highest the company has found, said Tom Eiland of Conkling Fiskum and McCormick.

Those grades are higher than the grades the district received in a 2001 survey. Then 18 percent of respondents gave the district an A, 41 percent a B, 16 percent a C, 6 percent a D or F and 19 percent weren’t sure. The percentage of respondents giving the district an A or B increased 14 percentage points, from 59 percent in 2001 to 73 percent in 2007.

Respondents were asked one good thing they have heard about the district.

Most, 30 percent, said there are good teachers, 11 percent said it is a quality school system, 9 percent said good communications, 5 percent said it prepares students for college, 4 percent said hard-working administration, 3 percent said excellent curriculum and 3 percent said challenging senior projects.

When asked about a problem or concern they had heard about the district most, 35 percent, said none. Seven percent said drugs or alcohol in schools, 5 percent said discipline, 4 percent said declining enrollment, 4 percent said budget management, 4 said they disagree with policies, 4 percent said lack of community support for the bond measure, 4 percent said lack of special education classes, 4 percent said overcrowding and 4 percent said funding for teachers.

“You have no individual concern that stands out,” Eiland said.

The district was significantly above state average in grades for specific activities.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents gave the district an A or B in informing the community, about 32 percent higher than the state average. Seventy-six percent gave an A or B in providing a quality education and 56 percent gave an A or B in preparing students for work or college. Fifty-one percent gave an A or B in managing the districts funds, 16 percent above the state average.

Other Anacortes school bond articles:
Anacortes school bond would fund $23.9 million career and technology wing at high school
School bond would fund classrooms, stadium, and renovate high school library, Brodniak Hall
Synthetic turf would allow more field use at same cost, school leaders say
Bond would unsnarl traffic in Mount Erie Elementary School dropoff zone, build new gym
School bond would replace ‘woefully inadequate’ maintenance building
District asking voters to ‘protect our investment’
Q & A: School bond costs, benefits examined
Inside the Anacortes school bond
Largest bond request in county history
Anacortes School District’s $62.9 million bond goes to voters