FAIRFIELD, Conn.—A new poll from Sacred Heart University’s Institute for Public Policy shows that Connecticut residents are in favor of more school funding as long as the additional funds come from the state and not local property taxes. Other issues weigh on them as well:
- Concern about student safety
- Increased funding for charter schools and lifting the cap on enrollment
- Nearly a third surveyed did not give schools a good grade
- Support for Common Core standards
Respondents also said schools are an important consideration for relocating to or remaining in Connecticut.
The statewide public policy poll, conducted between March 20 and April 6, covered quality-of-life issues, as well.
“More than anything, this poll validated how important a draw a strong education system is to residents coming to and remaining in Connecticut, and results speak to concerns for appropriate funding for K-12 public education and infrastructure,” said Professor Lesley DeNardis, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and director of SHU’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program. “Another key finding was the support for increased funding for charter schools.
Other important findings, DeNardis explained, reflected concerns for the high cost of living in Connecticut, with a higher percentage of state residents reporting their quality of life “declining” and almost two-thirds of respondents reporting that maintaining their standard of living based on total household income is “difficult.” Nearly 8 of 10 respondents also said they believe Connecticut’s cost of living is higher than in surrounding states.
More than half the people polled indicated that the quality of public schools is a factor when choosing where to live in Connecticut (that number increased to 73.1 percent of parents with children).
At SHU’s Institute for Public Policy recent forum, “Connecticut at the Crossroads: A Discussion about the Future of Public Education,” hosted at the Martire Business & Communications Center, Charles Britton, panelist and professor at the Isabelle Farrington College of Education, said he was not surprised that public schools are a factor for people choosing where to live. “Real estate agents promote homes based on education,” Britton said.
College of Education Dean Michael P. Alfano, also a panelist at the event, said Connecticut often is referred to as “two Connecticuts,” due to large socioeconomic differences among communities throughout the state. “There are segments that seek to find quality education,” he said. “Then there are other people who don’t have that opportunity.”
Additionally, 43.9 percent of respondents with children in public school cited fears about their child’s or children’s physical safety while they are in school.
Britton said schools have changed and are doing a better job of establishing security measures. “The answer isn’t arming teachers or having more people in the school with guns,” he asserted, stating that schools must do a better job of addressing students’ social and emotional needs. “There are many troubled kids in school; they’re dealing with trauma every day,” he said.
Panelist David Title, education professor and former superintendent of Fairfield schools, said that after the Sandy Hook shooting, more and more teachers were referring students for psychological evaluations. They didn’t want to ignore any sign or act that could mean something, he said. “This has put a huge strain on the schools and school personnel,” Title added.
Respondents were mostly split on the adequacy of public school funding in Connecticut, with a slightly higher rate believing Connecticut schools do not have sufficient funds to provide a good-quality education. However, when asked to choose a figure representing how much they thought Connecticut spends, on average, per student, almost half of the respondents thought Connecticut spends far less than it actually does (average spending per Connecticut student is $16,742 per year), while 48.4 percent said they didn’t know. Once pollsters revealed the actual number for Connecticut spending, 39.9 percent thought it should stay the same and 50.4 percent thought it should be increased, with most respondents (73 percent) believing the state should provide the additional funds.
Only one-fifth of respondents gave their local school district an “A” for overall quality, while 36.9 percent graded their local schools with a “B” and 20.7 percent gave a “C.” In total, 28.5 percent gave their schools either a “C” or “D.”
Responding to questions about charter schools and the Common Care State Standards Initiative, two-thirds of respondents were aware of Common Core issues; 56.2 percent of residents with children support the standards, with younger residents (age 18 to 34) not viewing them as favorably as older residents, age 55 or above. Regarding school choice, two-thirds of Connecticut residents strongly or somewhat support the formation of charter schools in the state, with 43.2 percent supporting increased funding and 43.8 percent supporting lifting the cap on charter school enrollment to accommodate the approximately 4,000 students now wait-listed to attend charter schools.
The data came to light in a Connecticut-specific poll, which had 37 questions examining education concerns and quality-of-life issues. GreatBlue Research, Inc., conducted the polling on behalf of the SHU Institute for Public Policy, interviewing 1,000 residents. Statistically, a sample of 1,000 telephone or digital interviews represents a margin for error of +/-3.02 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
Future polls will continue to survey quality-of-life issues in Connecticut, gauge opinion on how the state can best address current policy challenges, solicit input on how policy-makers can create a more business-friendly climate and address policies that cover affordability for all Connecticut residents. The polls also will measure confidence in local, state and federal governments.
Sacred Heart’s Institute for Public Policy, which was established in 2017 in the College of Arts and Sciences, is aligned with the University’s new MPA Program, which will launch this fall. In addition to hosting state-wide polls, the institute will conduct public policy research, host public forums and workshops and serve as a public-policy learning incubator for students.
To view the full results of this poll, click here.
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About Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University, the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Conn., and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s five colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; Nursing; the Jack Welch College of Business; and the Isabelle Farrington College of Education. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its guides, Best 382 Colleges–2018 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Best College Theater” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. U.S.News & World Reportranks SHU in its Best Colleges 2018 guidebook and calls SHU the fourth “Most Innovative School” in the North. The Chronicle of Higher Education also names SHU one of the fastest-growing Roman Catholic universities in its 2016 almanac. Sacred Heart fields 32 Division I athletic teams and has an award-winning program of community service. www.sacredheart.edu
About GreatBlue Research, Inc.
GreatBlue provides reliable, actionable research and analytics to help organizations identify, address and improve their understanding of key constituents. With more than 38 years of experience in market research for diverse markets, GreatBlue effectively harnesses this knowledge to correlate general attitudes and perceptions with behavioral trends to provide clients with a roadmap for success. GreatBlue Research is in Cromwell and can be reached online at www.greatblueresearch.com or at 860-740-4000.