Pennsbury residents happy with quality of education

From the BCCT.

Residents happy with quality of education
But results of a survey also showed residents thought “teacher salaries and benefits should be frozen.”
By MANASEE WAGH

The verdict is in for Pennsbury.

Residents are very satisfied with the education the district provides. They want teacher salaries to remain competitive but they also want the state to ban teacher strikes.

These are some highlights of a random, scientific poll of 501 Pennsbury residents in Tullytown, Falls, Lower Makefield and Yardley in December. The results were released this week.

The approximately 14-minute telephone survey polled residents about a wide range of topics, including educational programs, funding, teacher salaries, taxes, facilities, class size and classroom technology.

“The results were not unexpected but reaffirmed what we believe to be true,” said board President Gregory Lucidi. “I believe the results will be a very useful tool in shaping policy. People are equally concerned with taxes and education. That means we need to find a balance between providing an appropriate education and being fiscally responsible.”

School board members worked with UNICOM-ARC, a St. Louis, Mo., research and communications company, to develop the 61-question telephone poll. Pennsbury paid the company $23,000 to administer the survey and compile and analyze the results. In part, the outcome indicated that:

Respondents “overwhelmingly” thought educational programs and spending should take priority over facilities and teacher salaries.

Almost 84 percent responded that teachers did an “excellent” or “good” job, and about 62 percent thought teacher salaries should be kept competitive with those of neighboring districts. Pennsbury teacher salaries rank in the top 10 of 727 school districts and educational institutions in the state. Salaries start at $45,000 and peak at $98,222.

About four in 10 thought “teacher salaries and benefits should be frozen at their current level,” and a little more than 43 percent thought “teachers should receive only a costof-living salary increase.”

Almost 70 percent of respondents agreed that it should be illegal for teachers to strike.

Residents gave Pennsbury higher grades for providing a quality education compared to other state public schools. Almost nine in 10 respondents said elementary education is “excellent” or “good.”

Almost nine in 10 respondents said the district keeps students safe and secure.

About seven in 10 perceived the district to be in “healthy” financial condition, though almost 14 percent said the district “needs additional revenue.”

About 51 percent think “the district spends tax dollars cost effectively.” However, almost 63 percent agreed that “people like me can’t afford to pay higher property taxes, no matter how important the cause might be.”

More than 81 percent said the district should not increase its spending in the coming year, due to the current economic climate.

About 49 percent said they were “moderately” informed about the district, and 32 percent said they were “very well” informed. The board will be referring to the survey results while making decisions about finances, education programs and other issues, Lucidi said.

“I keep a copy of the results with me all the time,” he said. “I do look at it a lot. It really lets us know what the public thinks about the kind of job we’re doing, what kind of job our teachers are doing, our safety, buildings, technology.”

The results give him a clear direction on where to go in the next contract negotiation, he added.

“It tells us that we do want to seek more contributions for health care from teachers. It also lets us know that people believe teachers are well compensated, but salaries need to remain competitive,” he said.

Results on other topics also helped him look at where people stand in a variety of areas, Lucidi added.

Prior to the research company’s analysis, the teachers union and school board agreed to extend the current labor contract for another year with no cost of living increases. Taxpayers still will pay more than $1 million so teachers can continue to receive pay increases for longevity and educational attainment next year.

After UNICOM-ARC reported its results in February, the school board voted to forego applying for exceptions that would have allowed the district to raise taxes above the state limit of 4.1 percent. Lucidi said that many factors, especially the economy, influenced his vote for keeping taxes within that limit.

Some residents complained at board meetings that polling 500 people was not enough to get a good idea of what the district’s 700,000 residents think.

However, the poll was fairly representative because a computer program picked residents randomly, said Sharon Gotter, director of research at UNICOM-ARC, which has helped hundreds of school districts conduct resident surveys. The questionnaire also required residents to answer questions about gender, age, education level, salary, number of years living in the district and whether the respondent was a Pennsbury parent. Results included only questionnaires that respondents completed fully, Gotter said.

For a sample of about 500, the margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percent, according to the company.

The school district also conducts other surveys periodically on specific topics. Recently, parents responded to questions sent home with students about the possibility of school uniforms and making bus transportation more efficient. Another survey was recently mailed to every resident to get more public input on a range of school-related topics.

Lucidi said he would like to see more residents attend board meetings and speak up.

“Honestly, I don’t think we can get enough public input,” he said. “Public opinion is very, very important to the school board.”