Consolidation survey: A resounding 'yes'

Sue Peterson had some choice words about the survey results released this week regarding how residents feel about the possible consolidation of the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts.

“Atypical.”

“Shocking.”

“Surprising.”

Peterson works for School Perceptions, the company hired by the school districts to guide the survey. The school boards wanted a clear idea of where residents stood on consolidation and the costs to accomplish it. They want it. And they seem willing to pay for it as well.

An overwhelming number of people who responded to the survey in January support a consolidated district. Across the board, in age categories and among those who have children in the district and those who don’t, 80 percent of respondents want consolidation.

The results were released Tuesday night at a special meeting of the school boards with Peterson from School Perceptions, a company that has performed more than 10,000 surveys for schools looking to gauge community support for school improvements.

More than 33 percent of the surveys came back — 1,121 — a number that Peterson called “beyond impressive.” More than 50 percent of respondents support the costs associated with consolidating, about $38 million to shore up the South Terrace school in Carlton to create a K-5 school and making room in Wrenshall for middle and high school classes, including new gyms and an auditorium.

The taste for those costs comes with a caveat — funding from the state. School officials will now head down to the legislative session to lobby for about 40 percent of those costs coming through state bonding. If the bonding doesn’t come, both districts have said there will be no consolidation. It means the next answer in the consolidation puzzle would come by the end of session in May.

School Perceptions says the results shown in the survey indicate a high likelihood that a referendum in August would pass.

“This is extremely supportive data,” Peterson said. “You’ve got some time to dig into it although it’s pretty clear.”

It means Carlton Superintendent Gwen Carman and Wrenshall Superintendent Kim Belcastro will have some ammunition when lobbying in St. Paul for bonding money. When those two met with Sen. Jason Rarick and Rep. Mike Sundin last month, they were told that the lawmakers would need a strong sense of what taxpayers wanted in order to move a bill through.

“This is an overwhelming response,” Belcastro said Tuesday.

The survey results are “clear and consistent,” Carman said.

The boards are expected to act on the results at regular meetings next week, when a new resolution will be presented to each body acknowledging support to move forward on consolidation and levy vote in August contingent on bonding from St. Paul.

“We’re hearing that we need to move on, do it and get it over with,” said Wrenshall board member Janaki Fisher-Merritt. He said he had feared the survey could muddy the waters, showing only a slight preference for consolidation. But the numbers for consolidation are clear, he said, as is the appetite for raising taxes to do it.

“This is so helpful,” he said. “We have no interest in a referendum that won’t pass.”

“We still have to come together,” Belcastro said, referring to board members being all in for the next steps in the process. “Tuesday, we’ll know.”

The Wrenshall board meets at 6 p.m. Monday. Carlton meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Peterson said the boards are key in educating the public leading up to the election, even with the strong support shown in the survey.

“There’s a likelihood of success,” she said. “Educate the community. This data correlates with what you’d see in an election.”