The North Syracuse Central School District conducted an exit poll during the May 18 election in order to gather feedback on the voting experience. The data collected from this poll was shared with community members during the June 7 Board of Education meeting.
There were a total of 585 people who responded in the 2010 election, up from 310 responses in 2009. Although this is an increase, the responses to the exit poll represent only 20 percent of the total 2010 voters, which was 2,919.
The district reported approximately 1,000 new voters this year, as well.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerome Melvin said he was pleased with both the voter turnout and the number of participants in the exit poll process.
Exit poll participants were asked to answer eight questions.
The first question dealt with nominal information such as if the voter had children in the school district, grandchildren in the school district or if he or she was a district employee.
Other questions included information on where in the district the voter lived, how they find information about the district, rating the quality of the district’s programs, the district’s diversity and the level of confidence he or she had in the district administration’s decision-making ability.
Among the questions asked, voters were able to comment on how they were treated during the voting process. This year, 99.3 percent people responded, with 406 people or 69.4 percent reporting courteous treatment, three people or .5 percent reporting they were not treated courteously and 176 people or 30.1 percent reported not having any contact with any district employee.
Voters reported they felt regularly informed of district news by 87.2 percent by using the district’s website and other forms of communication and media.
The district provided exit poll participants the opportunity to rank the district in a few categories, also.
The district received mostly 3’s and 4’s for the quality of facilities, educational programs, art and music programs and its athletic programs. The exit poll also maintains that 538 responders agreed that the district provides a safe learning environment.
While the responses for the community’s confidence in the administration’s ability to make decisions was spread out, 436 people ranked the district with 3’s and 4’s in this category.
Superintendent Melvin said he believes this category may have been low because of the tough budget year.
“Things are always harder to look at when there are cuts,” Melvin said. “Hard decisions were made … it was a tough year.”
