Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Satisfaction with DPS at nine-year high
(Then-third grader Sierra Downey holds a brick at a ceremony in 2005 marking a construction milestone at Kiser Elementary School)
The opening of seven new schools the past two years across the city has helped lift public perception of the school district’s quality to a nine-year high in a new survey. The survey, conducted by Wright State University’s Center for Urban and Public Affairs in six of the past nine years, mostly examines residents’ perceptions of the city but includes a few questions about schools.
When respondents were asked to rate the quality of the district, 31.3 percent said it was “excellent” or “good.” That’s the highest rating since the survey began, when 29.6 percent rated the district that high in 1997. Confidence fell, however, to a low of 24.1 percent in 2001 following a major financial crisis.
The study’s authors said the seven-point gain was statistically significant and reported many respondents cited the construction of new schools when asked why they felt the schools were doing well. Seven new schools have opened in the past three years and eight more will open by the end of next school year under the district’s construction program.
“It is indeed an improvement over the most recent surveys we’ve had over the past 10 years,” Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce President Phil Parker said. “It’s good that there is a perception out there that we are finally moving to neighborhood schools. That’s what people tell us they want.”
Superintendent Percy Mack said the district clearly has work to do to raise the number even higher — 68.7 percent rated the district “fair” or “poor” — but he said a three-survey trend showing more confidence in the district is an unmistakable signal that the public believes Dayton schools are doing better.
“Our whole team — staff and students and everybody — has been working very hard to turn around the perception of the district,” he said. “I am excited for everybody. That’s a trend you want to have. Hopefully it will continue to grow for us.”
In 2002, city voters overwhelmingly approved a bond issue to raise $245 million for the local share of a $627 million state and locally funded program to rebuild Dayton’s schools. Mack said the feedback on the new schools had been positive.
“We’ve had record numbers of people at our open houses to see the schools their taxes are paying for and they’ve had very good reviews,” he said.
The survey was conducted in late 2007, after last year’s defeat of a 15.17-mill operating levy and $30 million in program cuts that followed. A new levy try is expected this fall.
Parker said a smaller levy might have done better last year and that the survey shows the public sees improvement in the schools. And that is a good sign for the city.
“You can’t have a great city and not have good to great schools,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen.”
(Image credit: Ty Greenlees, DDN)
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