Comments, please.
Here are the contents of that report:
METHODOLGY
ï½One focus group of high propensity voters, January 28th, 2016.
–As a follow up to the two focus groups conducted in December, 2015.
ï½Each group was a mix of gender and age.
ï½The focus group excluded parents of current Menlo Park City School District students and people who had extreme opinions on measures providing additional funding for local public schools.
ï½Topics covered included: general community positives and negatives, opinions on Menlo Park schools, support for the proposed two parcel tax measures, and reactions to ballot arguments for the two measures.
ï½Moderated by Ruth Bernstein of EMC Research.
Key Findings -General
ï½There is high satisfaction with Menlo Park in general and a strong belief that the schools are very good, very well run and a major contributor to good quality of life in Menlo Park;
ï½The above leaves voters willing to give the District the benefit of any doubt around taxes and Menlo Park schools, i.e. they start any read of a ballot measure from a yes position;
ï½These findings are consistent with the Focus Group’s conducted in December.
Key Findings –Reactions to Ballot Measures
ï½Although there was some confusion about the language and intention behind Measure 2, because they trust and value the district and schools, participants were willing to support both measures.
ï½The dollar amounts being proposed are considered trivial by the voters in the focus group;
Key Findings –Reactions to Measures and Arguments
ï½Ballot measures and ballot arguments should be positive in their language and primarily about “maintaining†the quality of schools in Menlo Park;
ï½Too much detail leads to more rather than fewer questions;
ï½Voters seem willing to accommodate growth;
CONTACTS at EMC
Alex Evans
Alex@EMCresearch.com
510.550.8920
Jessica Polsky
Jessica@EMCresearch.com
510.550.8933
Jenny Regas
Jenny@EMCresearch.com
