MINUTEMAN REGIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL ISSUES
AUGUST 2015
ΔΑΠΑ RESEARCH INC.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
 400
total respondents
 All
voters within the Minuteman High School
district
 Field
Dates: August 25-28, 2015
 Margin
of Error: +/- 4.9 percentage points
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS

Gender: 48% Male; 52% Female
 Party Registration: 33% Democrat; 11%
Republican; 55% Independent/Unenrolled
 15% of respondents had students, graduates, or
close family friends who attended Minuteman High
School
 53% of respondents know someone who has
attended Minuteman High School
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
CITIES AND TOWNS IN MINUTEMAN DISTRICT

ACTON (AREA 1)

LANCASTER (AREA 1)

ARLINGTON (AREA 3)

LEXINGTON (AREA 2)

BELMONT (AREA 3)

LINCOLN (AREA 2)

BOLTON (AREA 1)

NEEDHAM (AREA 2)

BOXBOROUGH (AREA 1)

STOW (AREA 1)

CARLISLE (AREA 1)

SUDBURY (AREA 2)

CONCORD (AREA 1)

WAYLAND (AREA 2)

DOVER (AREA 1)

WESTON (AREA 2)
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
MINUTEMAN HS: POSITIVE ATTITUDES
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Very Negative
Undecided
W HAT ARE YO UR G E NE RAL FE E LI NG S O N
MI NUTE MAN HS ?
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
16%
0%
2%
0%
2%
7%
13%
18%
26%
35%
38%
43%
Very Positive
W HAT ARE YO UR G E NE RAL FE E LI NG S ABO UT
THE Q UALI TY O F V O C -TE CH P RO G RAMS AT
MI NUTE MAN HS ?
No
Undecided
4%
3%
12%
16%
72%
Yes
93%
VOC-TECH HIGH SCHOOLS: ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS & SAFETY STANDARDS
D O Y O U B E L I E V E TH AT AC AD E M I C P R O G R AM S
D O Y O U B E L I E V E TH AT V O C - TE C H S C H O O L
O F F E R E D I N V O C - TE C H S C H O O L S S H O U L D M E E T B U I L D I N G S S H O U L D M E E T TH E S AM E S AF E TY AN D
TH E S AM E S TAN D AR D S AS I N O TH E R S C H O O L S ?
E N V I R O N M E N TAL S TAN D AR D S AS I N O TH E R
SCHOOL BUILDINGS?
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
A NEW MINUTEMAN HIGH SCHOOL:
AWARENESS & SHARED COSTS
No
Undecided
ARE YO U AWARE THAT THE MI NUTE MAN
S CHO O L CO MMI TTE E I S LO O KI NG TO BUI LD A
NE W MI NUTE MAN HS NE X T TO THE E X I S TI NG
S CHO O L O N LAND O W NE D BY THE S CHO O L?
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
5%
3%
15%
52%
45%
81%
Yes
I F A NE W MI NUTE MAN HS I S BUI LT, S HO ULD
THE S TATE PAY A P O RTI O N O F THE
CO NS TRUCTI O N CO S TS ?
MINUTEMAN HS
ACCREDITATION
81%
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO
MAINTAIN THE SCHOOL'S
ACCREDITATION?

NO – 49%
2%
YES – 49%
3%

11%
Are you aware that Minuteman
High School is currently
accredited by the New England
Association of Schools and
Colleges?
VERY
S O M E W H AT N O T V E R Y N O T AT AL L
I M P O R TAN T I M P O R TAN T I M P O R TAN T I M P O R TAN T
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
46%
39%
BUILDING A NEW
HIGH SCHOOL
Others say that the decision to build
a new school should be made by
voters during a district-wide election
held on the same day.
Which of these options do you
prefer?
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
15%
Some people say that the decision
to build a new high school should
be made by the individual town
meetings in each of the 16 member
towns.
DE CI S I O N
DE CI S I O N
MADE BY E ACH
MADE BY
O F THE 1 6
DI S TRI CT-W I DE
TO W N
V O TE O N S AME
ME E TI NG S .
DAY.
UNDE CI DE D
If you had to vote, would you support or oppose the
construction of a new Minuteman HS if the state pays at
least 40% of the eligible costs?
23%
Undecided
8.5% No,
would not
support
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
Yes: 274
No: 34
Undecided: 92
68.5% Yes,
would
support
LEVELS OF SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION FOR A
NEW MINUTEMAN HS
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 - Highest
1 - Lowest
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 - Highest
O N A S CALE O F 1 -1 0 HO W W O ULD YO U
DE S CRI BE YO UR LE V E L O F S UP P O RT? (2 7 4
RE S P O NDE NTS )
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
0%
3%
6%
9%
12%
15%
6%
6%
8%
1%
1%
1%
3%
8%
12%
15%
20%
Mean: 6.26
17%
Mean: 7.72
29%
30%
1 - Lowest
O N A S CALE O F 1 -1 0 HO W W O ULD YO U
DE S CRI BE YO UR LE V E L O F O P P O S I TI O N? (3 4
RE S P O NDE NTS )
Thinking about your vote, which of the
following is most important to you?
31%
22%
16%
7%
Impact on
students
Impact on tax bill
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
Condition of
current building
Personal feelings
about
school/programs
6%
Town officials'
opinions on
project
5%
Impact on jobs
What is your greatest concern about plans to
build a new high school?
40%
17%
13%
11%
6%
My taxes will go up I don't really have
any concerns
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
My own town
needs to build a
new school
My town doesn't The school will be
have enough say too big for us to fill
on the Regional
with students
School Committee
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR NEW HS
SUPPORT IS STRONG THROUGH ALL DEMOGRAPHICS…
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
63%
68.5%
74%
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT: BY GENDER
TOTAL
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
MEN
WOMEN
TOTAL 18-35
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
36-45
46-55
79%
63%
77%
66%
69%
63%
68.5%
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT: BY AGE
56-65
66-75
75+
TOTAL
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
71%
76%
69%
68.5%
74%
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT: BY INCOME LEVEL
UNDER
50K
UNDER
100K
UNDER
200K
OVER
200K
62%
69%
68.5%
73%
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT: BY AREA
TOTAL
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
AREA 1
AREA 2
AREA 3
TOTAL
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
DEMOCRATS
68%
59%
72%
68.5%
WIDESPREAD SUPPORT: BY POLITICAL PARTY
AFFILIATION
REPUBLICANS INDEPENDENTS
TOTAL
FAMILY
GRADUATE
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
59%
75%
66%
68.5%
81%
SUPPORT LEVELS AMONG MINUTEMAN
FAMILIES
NON-FAMILY
KNOW
DON'T KNOW
GRADUATE GRADUATE GRADUATE
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
61%
DISTRICT-WIDE
VOTE
63%
TOTAL
76%
68.5%
SUPPORT LEVELS AMONG MODES OF
DECISION-MAKING
TOWN MEETINGS
NOT SURE
TOTAL
STUDENTS PERSONAL
FEELINGS
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
JOBS
BUILDING
TOWN
CONDITION OFFICIALS
47%
59%
73%
76%
81%
68.5%
88%
SUPPORT LEVELS AMONG MOST IMPORTANT
FACTORS
TAX BILL
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015
63%
71%
NO CONCERN SCHOOL IN SCHOOL TOO
MY TOWN
BIG
64%
TOTAL
76%
68.5%
90%
SUPPORT LEVELS AMONG GREATEST
CONCERNS
TAXES
MORE SAY
CONCLUSIONS

Positive Feelings about Minuteman HS and its
programs

Voc-tech should meet academic and building
standards

Overwhelming support for new construction

Intensity of support higher than intensity of opposition

Vote keys are impact on students, tax bill, condition of
building
ΔΑΠΑ Research Inc. -- August 2015