Thoughts on school district's 'Delphi survey'
In the wake of the resounding defeat of the Aug. 30 plant facilities levy, LPOSD still seems unaware of how its levy deluge plays in the community. Still paying on the 2015 supplemental levy, which was a 500 percent increase since the year 2000, this year’s levy $55 million levy was a 700 percent increase over the last plant levy in 2008, and another supplemental levy request looms in March 2017.
The many letters to the editor and forum questions revealed the public’s doubts that this levy was necessary and particularly at this amount. The fact that LPOSD’s stories, numbers, construction dates, and other information kept changing did not help. As the community’s confidence eroded, major concerns remained unanswered: the need for the high price tag; unconvincing justifications for rebuilds and additions; the convoluted and unproven financing scheme with its troubling implications; lack of transparency, such as consultants chosen without public knowledge or input; LPOSD insiders, affiliates and even relatives appointed to the facilities planning committee; levy information mailings sent to only school employees and parents; the rush to get it passed in a very short time; the lack of building maintenance performed over many years; and more.
Although one school board member acknowledged that the reasons for the defeat could be found in those letters and comments, the board decided an opinion survey was needed. A nationwide public opinion research firm, Moore Information, whose specialty is “selling ideas and developing communication strategies”, was hired at a projected cost of $16,000-24,000. That price tag was apparently reduced to $1,800 by opting for a draft survey.
The draft survey was kept confidential until the Sept. 27 school board meeting. A copy obtained through a public records request showed 38 questions, mostly focused on finding out how and why the levy process went awry. For example, how you voted, would have voted, plan to vote, if and how you received levy information, etc. There are also questions about the school district’s financial and academic performance and its effect on Bonner County’s future. However, what the public really wants in terms of a levy, or if it even sees the need for one, receives little or no attention, and answer choices are insufficient. For instance, for specific buildings which were part of the levy, answer choices are “rebuild yes, no, or don’t know.” No choices are provided for “remodel” or “update.” So the survey is designed to steer answers toward what the LPOSD wants them to be.
Also part of the survey was quite a bit of data mining, described as “a few questions for statistical purposes” about age, gender, homeownership, political party affiliation, polling place, and whether you have children in the school district. “Prefer not to answer” was not provided as an option for these questions.
So the preset goal is to have another levy, and the only answer LPOSD is truly seeking is how high to go in order to make it, in Superintendent Shawn Woodward’s words, “more palatable.” This is what’s known as the Delphi technique: the outcome has already been established; citizens are appeased with the appearance of having input, and in the process are led into “ownership” of the future levy.
The survey has since been reduced to 33 questions and is now a Surveymonkey instrument. This contradicts what we were told at a recent school board meeting, when the quality of Surveymonkey’s surveys was questioned because of a lack of answer choices, and the board assured us that it would definitely not be used. Actually, it turns out they contracted with Surveymonkey.
This latest survey still leaves a lot to be desired in terms of answer choices. However, the results are intended to be used, along with “goals and parameters from the board,” by the yet-to-be-created facilities planning committee to form the basis for yet another survey.
We will be surveyed until we provide the outcome they want to hear from us.
ANITA PERRY
Sandpoint