USD 353 Shares Results of Community Survey
By Laura Lombardi
In February, Wellington USD 353 conducted a Patron Survey to gather community input on potential facility improvements and gauge public willingness to support a bond issue to fund those projects. The survey results have now been tabulated and were recently presented to the Board of Education.
The goal of the survey was twofold: to provide data that would assist the district in planning for the future and to assess community support for issuing a bond to finance those plans. The survey was made available both online and in print, and it was promoted through multiple channels to encourage broad participation.
Between February 14 and 28, the district received 684 responses. The age breakdown of respondents is shown below:
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It is important to note that the survey was distributed to the general public without an attempt to randomly sample a statistically representative population.
Who Responded?
Key demographics of the survey respondents included:
2.8% of respondents live outside USD 353 boundaries.
665 in-district residents were included in the final analysis.
75.3% of respondents live within the city limits of Wellington.
The most represented age group was 40–49 (23.2%).
The least represented group among registered voters was ages 20–29.
Project Support and Priorities
Due to limited capital outlay funds, the district would need to issue a bond to complete major facility upgrades. Survey participants were asked to indicate their level of support for specific projects proposed over the next three years.
Key findings include:
12 projects received support from over 50% of respondents.
4 projects were supported by 65% or more of respondents.
Replacing HVAC systems districtwide had the highest level of strong support (55%).
Replacing roofs at all elementary schools, the middle school, high school, and Sumner County Academy (Roosevelt) followed closely, with 51.4% expressing strong support.
The four most-supported projects—each receiving 65% or greater total support (somewhat or strongly)—were:
Replacing HVAC systems: 78.2%
Replacing roofs: 77%
Increasing energy efficiency: 76.5%
Remodeling the old ag shop at the middle school for expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings: 65.4%
Areas of Concern or Opposition
Projects that received the strongest opposition were largely related to athletics and extracurricular improvements. The results showed:
The project with the highest percentage of strong opposition was installing irrigation at the middle school and high school practice football fields (34.4%).
Nine projects had 20% or more of respondents strongly opposed.
Three projects had a majority (somewhat or strongly opposed):
Installing irrigation at athletic fields: 62.6%
Constructing a new concession stand at the football field: 52.3%
Updating and repairing the press box: 51.3%
In general, maintenance-related projects received broader community support than athletic facility upgrades.
Support for a Bond or Tax Increase
When asked about financial support, community members expressed varied levels of willingness:
77.4% of respondents were willing to support a bond of some amount.
47.5% were willing to support additional taxes to fund a bond.
27.5% said they would support a tax increase for a $25 million bond.
20% indicated support for a tax increase for a $20 million bond.
Interestingly, among those open to a tax increase, the larger $25 million bond amount received more support than the smaller $20 million option.
Final Report and Next Steps
A comprehensive 83-page report was presented to the Board of Education. The report includes detailed results for each survey question, demographic analysis by age group, and a summary of open-ended comments submitted by participants.
The Board is expected to use this data as it continues evaluating future facility needs and funding options.
