Update:  The School Building Advisory Committee will no longer be holding a public forum on October 12, 2023, as originally stated in this post of 9/26/23.

The School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) held a public forum on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 to review the recently posted results of their first survey.  The survey was conducted by Portland Research Group between July 27 and August 22  using mailed survey packets, QR codes, and links to the survey on the Town's website and social media platforms.  SBAC member Michael Hussey began the forum by explaining that the purpose of the forum was to go beyond, "Crunching numbers; the SBAC is deeply committed to incorporating broad public input into every aspect of this survey."  Hussey said that the survey was not a preview of any upcoming building plans.  "What it did aim to do was to capture a comprehensive view of community sentiment ranging from your thoughts on the previous proposal; the design process; what you value most in our schools; to your concerns about construction costs, tax increases, and upcoming property revaluation.  Your thoughtful feedback sets the stage for us to consider a range of design possibilities; whether they involve new construction, renovations, or a phased hybrid approach," Hussey said.

The next public forum, scheduled for October 12, will provide the public with the opportunity to meet the yet-to-be selected new architects.  The committee held interviews with four firms on September 21 and 25, and are expected to make a selection within the coming weeks.  The four candidates are:  Dore & Whittier, SMMA, Arrowstreet/Briburn, and Harriman.  Once the architects have been chosen, Hussey said that the committee, "Anticipates being ready to showcase a variety of options for our public schools at another forum.  After those design options are presented to the public, another public survey will occur to hear your detailed thoughts on the specific design scenarios being contemplated."  

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Hussey said, "Our ultimate ambition throughout all of the SBAC work is to align closely with the community's needs and aspirations.  We aim to approach the November 2024 referendum with a very high level of confidence that whatever is in that referendum will pass and we promise, as a group, not to ask you to invest in anything but a well-vetted project with a wide level of public support already baked in."

Following Hussey's address, the bulk of the forum allowed Bruce Lockwood of Portland Research Group the time to provide a presentation of the survey results.  Lockwood said that he and his colleagues were very pleased with the number of completed surveys submitted.  There were 1,652 responses; this is a response rate of 22.6% based on the current population of 7,309 adults 18 years or older.  Lockwood said that 15% is typically considered a "strong response rate" and a sample size of 500 or greater is typically considered a meaningful quantity.  Before going into the findings, Lockwood said, "The data is about the opinions of your neighbors; they are not necessarily facts, but they are the opinions of the people and should be respected."

All of the following slides are taken directly from the Portland Research Group report on the School Building Advisory Committee Voter Survey.  The complete report, which includes more data and greater analysis, are included in the Portland Research Group's Survey Results report.  A video recording of the September 20 Pubic Forum is also available. 

Methodology of the sample segment responses were weighted to align the distribution of those who voted in favor or against the November 2022 referendum with actual results of the election.  Using weighted data, 35% of the survey respondents voted in favor of the referendum; 57% of survey respondents voted against the referendum.

Reasons for a Vote in Favor of the Proposal:

Reasons for a Vote Against the Proposal:

Reasons for NOT Voting on Proposal:

Of those who provided a response in the Survey, the following graph shows the Perception of the Size of the Proposed School Building project in the November 2022 referendum:

On New Construction and/or Renovation, over one-half (52%) of those who provided a response feel a proposal for the school buildings should focus on renovation AND new construction.  One in five each believe a proposal should focus on new construction only (22%) and renovation only (20%).

Other data gleaned from the Survey Results include:

• Feelings About Specific Aspects of Proposal
• Changes That Would Increase Likelihood to Support Proposal
• Concern About Current Condition of Buildings and Reasons for Level of Concern About Condition of Buildings
• Importance of Building Features 
• Other Building Features Desired
• Impact of Pending Property Tax Revaluation on Opinion of Project
• Level of Property Tax Increase Supported for School Buildings
• Sources of Information About Proposal
• Preferred Ways to Receive Information About SBAC Work
• Information Missing at The of November 2022 Referendum
• Respondent Profile

Conclusions: