The Derby (Kan.) Public Schools, one of several school districts located on the outer rim of the state’s largest city, has long had a solid brand. Among the school districts located in suburban Wichita, Derby is known for its high-quality academics, array of extracurricular activities and strong athletics.

It was also evident in the district that numerous school support buildings have been tugging on finances, due to a variety of reasons, including size constraints and building efficiencies. The city has also been experiencing growth and development in an area lacking a nearby elementary school.

To determine what patrons might support on a bond election ballot to address these present issues, Patron Insight conducted a telephone survey of registered voter patrons, paired with a companion online survey of the community.

While the results showed solid support for many projects – and what seemed to be mostly questions, rather than objections, about the others – an activity center and some other athletic projects were not as popular.

Some of the highest-profile athletic projects dealt with stadium renovations and the construction of a facility called the Panther Activity Center, a 120-yard, indoor multipurpose facility that would meet curricular needs for additional Physical Education space as well as accommodate extracurricular activities such as marching band, AFJROTC, athletic programs and possible use by the community.

The results suggested the activity center and a few of the athletic projects – if included in the ballot issue with the priority needs – could potentially pull down the “Yes” votes enough to put the entire bond proposal at risk.

The district’s Process for Success committee decided to separate the ideas into three questions. The first contained the priority needs. The second was the Panther Activity Center and the third included the remaining athletic projects not in question one. It was also decided questions two and three were contingent on question one passing.

As projected, question one ended election night with a “Yes” vote, while questions two and three fell short of the majority needed. Splitting them up helped ensure the high-priority needs in question one would get addressed.

To learn more about this, contact Derby Public Schools at contact_us@usd260.com. To learn how Patron Insight can help your district with a similar situation, contact Patron Insight CEO Ken DeSieghardt at ken@patroninsight.com.

                       Patron Insight

Patron Insight was publicly acknowledged by the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) as a preferred provider for the association and the members it serves.

“We look forward to providing services to KASB members that will improve engagement, communications and support of patrons and will identify findings through our research that best position them for ballot box success,” said Rick Nobles, president, Patron Insight.