On Tuesday, May 16, residents of the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District will vote on a proposed $34,697,486 budget for the 2017-18 school year, propositions to purchase school buses and land at the Broadalbin campus, and elect two people to the Board of Education. Before they leave the polling area, voters will be encouraged to fill out an anonymous exit survey that district leaders say will provide concrete data to help them make decisions about the district in the future.
The 10-question exit survey is designed to capture voters’ opinions about the proposed budget, district leadership, and the quality of education at Broadalbin-Perth.
“The Board of Education takes the results of this survey very seriously, so we encourage all voters to complete it,” said Superintendent of Schools Stephen Tomlinson. “Board members use survey data to inform their decisions. For instance, the exit survey we conducted during the 2015 school budget vote helped inform the final scope of the 2016 capital project.”
May 16 will mark the ninth year that Broadalbin-Perth has asked voters to complete an exit survey following the budget vote. In the past, participation rates have ranged from 17 to 36 percent of actual voters.
“It’s very important that voters take the time to complete the exit survey,” Tomlinson said. “The data that we collect through the exit survey better reflects our community’s views when a greater percentage of voters fill it out. No matter what your opinions are, we want to hear from you.”
Voters will have a chance to complete the exit survey after they cast their ballots. Surveys will be available near the exit at both polling locations. As in years past, voters will have a choice of filling out the survey electronically on a provided tablet or laptop computer or by hand on a paper version of the survey.
Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 16, at the middle school and high school gymnasiums. For more information, visit the voting information page on the district website, or call the district office at 954-2500, option 5.