Stillwater Area School

District
2016 Residential Study

The Morris Leatherman Company

Survey Methodology
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

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400 random sample of Stillwater Area School District residents.

300 random sample of parents of Stillwater Area School District
children.
Telephone interviews conducted between February 18th and
23rd, 2016.
Average interview time of 15 minutes.
Non-response rate of 3.0%.
The 400 sample projectable to the universe of all adult residents
within +/- 5.0% in 95 out of 100 cases.
The 300 sample projectable to the universe of all district parents
within +/- 5.8% in 95 out of 100 cases.

The Morris Leatherman Company

Most Serious Issue

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
26

Closing Schools

20
16

BOLD Plan

17
10

High Taxes

7
9

Poor Spending

10

Lack of Funding

Poor Communication

7
7

11

Overall
Parents

4
4

Superintendent
3

Doesn't Listen

2
0

Overcrowding

5
3

Scattered

Unsure

1
11
11

Nothing
0

The Morris Leatherman Company

10

15

20

25

30

Specific Perceptions I
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
50

48

Satisfied w/Decision-Making Process/Overall

56

43

Parents

54

44

Good Job Involving Community/Overall

62

36

Parents

20

40
Agree

The Morris Leatherman Company

60

80

Disagree

100
Unsure

120

Specific Perceptions II
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
58

40

Decision Based Best Interests of Children/Overall

63

33

Parents

56

42

Good Job Informing about Decisions/Overall

60

39

Parents

20

40
Agree

The Morris Leatherman Company

60

80

Disagree

100
Unsure

120

Perception of Enrollment
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
56
32
Overall

Declining Enrollment in
North/Growing Enrollment in
South

12

59
31
Parents

11

10

20

30

The Morris Leatherman Company

40

50

60

70

Agree
Disagree
Unsure

Job Performance Ratings

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
Board

60

Administration

54

50

50

46

47

45

49

48

50

40
30
20
10

0
Overall

Parents
Positive

The Morris Leatherman Company

Overall
Negative

Unsure

Parents

Awareness of BOLD Plan

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

Aware
84%

Aware
94%

Not Aware
6%

Not Aware
16%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

SASD Parents

Familiarity with BOLD Plan

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

Very
41%

Very
29%

Somewhat
58%
Not
13%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

Not
10%

Somewhat
50%

SASD Parents

Primary Source of Information

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
25

District Newsletter

16
19

District Website

27
14

Teachers/Staff

23
14

Pioneer Press

8
11

Word of Mouth

6
7

Local Newspaper

Overall
Parents

5
4

Social Media

3
4

Local TV News

5
1
1

Cable Television
Meetings

Email

2
4
2

Scattered

10

The Morris Leatherman Company

15

20

25

30

35

BOLD Plan
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

Support
32%

Support
25%

Strongly Support
11%

Oppose
36%

Strongly Support
10%
Oppose
32%
Unsure
7%

Unsure
8%
Strongly Oppose
21%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

Strongly Oppose
19%

SASD Parents

Reason for Decision

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
15

Save Money

16
11

Plan Makes Sense

16
10

Low Enrollment Numbers

11
3

Invest in Programs

19

Hurt Local Cities

15
15

Create Large Classes

Overall
Parents

11
12

Long Bus Rides

8
11

Past Referendum

12

More Research Needed

Not Needed

Disrupts Children

2
2
2

Scattered

The Morris Leatherman Company

10

15

20

25

Opinion of People They Trust

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

Support
37%

Support
30%

Oppose
56%
Unsure
14%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

Unsure
7%

Oppose
56%

SASD Parents

School Board Members Position

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
Importance in Evaluation of Their Performance

Extremely
25%

Extremely Somewhat
24%
45%

Somewhat
47%

Unsure
2%

Unsure
2%

Not at all
10%

Not at all
10%
Not too
18%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

Not too
19%

SASD Parents

Reasons in Favor
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
Save $1M per year/Enhance Programs/Overall

22

26
28

Parents
Budget Cuts 10 of last 15 years/Overall

21

21

25
25

Parents

27

20

Invest in Direct Services for Children/Overall

26
26

Parents
North Stable or Decline/South Increase/Overall

25

20

24
24

Parents

26

19

Provide Same Access in All Elem Schools/Overall

27
23

Parents

27

18

Under 80% Capacity/Overall

29
24

Parents

28

18

Balance Class Sizes Across District/Overall

25

21

Parents

10

25

20

Very Convincing
The Morris Leatherman Company

30

40

50

60

Somewhat Convincing

Reasons in Opposition
2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
No Elementary School in North/Overall

42

Parents

21

36

"Blue Ribbon" Schools/Overall

25

41

Parents

22

38

Lose Neighborhood Schools/Overall

22

40

Parents

29

35

Only in December/Overall

40

Parents

39

Passed Levy & Referendum/Overall

28
24
19

33

Parents

31

37

10

20

29

30

Very Convincing
The Morris Leatherman Company

40

50

60

70

80

Somewhat Convincing

BOLD Plan Post-Test

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study

Support
32%

Support
28%

Strongly Support
11%

Strongly Support
11%

Oppose
32%

Oppose
30%
Unsure
5%

Unsure
5%
Strongly Oppose
25%

All Residents

The Morris Leatherman Company

Strongly Oppose
23%

SASD Parents

Reason for Decision

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
16

Save Money

15
12

Plan Makes Sense

13
9

Low Enrollment Numbers

11
3
3

Invest in Programs

21

Hurt Local Cities

Overall
Parents

17
17

Create Large Classes

13
7

Long Bus Rides

10
12
12

Past Referendum
0

Future Crowding

4
4

Scattered

The Morris Leatherman Company

10

15

20

25

Pre-Test vs. Post-Test

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
70
57

57

60

53

51

50

43

42
39

40

36

30
20
8

10

0
Overall/Pre-Test

Parents/Pre-Test
Overall/Post-Test

Support
The Morris Leatherman Company

Parents/Post-Test

Oppose

Unsure

Send Children to Stillwater SD

2016 Stillwater Area School District Study
55
51

Very Likely
35
30

Somewhat Likely
5
10

Not too Likely

1
3

Not at all Likely

4
6

Unsure
0

10

20

30

Next Year
The Morris Leatherman Company

40

50

60

2017-18 School Year

70