Fayetteville-Manlius School District voters who completed an exit survey during the district’s annual school budget vote in May indicated that their top budget information source was district publications.
When asked what voters’ best sources of budget information were, 67 percent of respondents checked district publications, according to the survey report. The district website followed as the second best source.
“It is critical that residents are informed about what is happening in the district, and budget communications is one of our top communication priorities,” Superintendent Craig J. Tice said. “We strive to be the community’s first and best source of news about the district and will continue to make that a priority as we embark on a new school year.”
The exit survey was available during the annual school budget vote, which took place May 16, 2017. District voters approved the $80.7 million 2017-18 budget proposal at an overall 71 percent passing rate (1,942 yes; 775 no).
In addition to determining how residents become educated about the school budget, district officials also use the survey to assess community priorities related to the programs and services the district offers its students, as well as community satisfaction with the district overall.
The exit survey collected demographic data about who voted on the budget and information about why voters voted the way they did. The survey was voluntary and anonymous. Surveys were made available to voters at the polling site for anyone who chose to fill one out, both electronically and in paper form. While the survey results do not represent the opinions of all voters, or even the majority, the survey does provide residents with an opportunity to share their opinions about the district and its proposed budget.
In 2017, 2,717 residents voted on the school budget, which is 460 more residents than voted in 2016. Of the 2,717 residents who voted, 706 chose to fill out an exit survey, which is a response rate of 26 percent. This response rate is 3 percentage points lower than the response rate of the survey conducted during the 2016 budget vote.
Check out the report to find out what voters’ best sources of information were about the budget, why voters voted the way they did and what non-mandated areas they would want the district to preserve if it is necessary for the district to make future budget cuts.
The report can be found at fmschools.org/exitsurvey.
