Survey says Park Hill patrons willing to pay for tech upgrades

Park Hill patrons want more technology instruction for students and they may be willing to pay more in taxes to receive it — this was the message received by the Board of Education last week when it heard the results of the 2013 patron survey. The annual survey samples 400 randomly-selected, head-of-household patrons. This year, an additional group of 40 families that participated in the Future Learners Project (FLiP) pilot program were also surveyed.

“The results suggest the presence of a satisfied patron population that generally supports the ideas being considered for a potential ballot issue, but that is somewhat cautious when the tax implications are presented for consideration,” states the executive summary report.

Of those surveyed, 62-percent said they favored a ballot issue to support technology instruction. There are, however, limits on what people are willing to pay. According to the survey, 49-percent of respondents supported a $140 annual increase in taxes, with 50-percent supporting a $115 increase and 53-percent supporting a $90 increase.