65% of RIers Support Raimondo’s $250M Bond, Says Bryant’s Hassenfeld Institute Poll

Monday, February 26, 2018

GoLocalProv News Team

 

View Larger +

Gary Sasse, head of the Hassenfeld Institute, will be GoLocal LIVE on Monday at 4 PM

A new poll finds Rhode Island voters only give the public schools a passing grade and voters voice strong support for Governor Gina Raimondo’s proposed $250 million state bond issue for public school repair and construction. The poll also finds that just over a third of RIers believe the schools are preparing students for future jobs.

Gary Sasse, head of the Hassenfeld Institute, will be on GoLocal LIVE at 4 PM to discuss the poll.

These numbers come from a public opinion poll released today by the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University.  Only 29 percent of those polled have children in the school system presently.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The poll found:

The majority of people surveyed gave Rhode Island’s public schools a passing grade, with 33 percent  giving the school system an “A” or a “B,” and 35% rating the schools a “C.”  The schools fared significantly better among respondents with children currently enrolled in school; 60% of this group rated the schools an “A” or a “B.”

Only a slight majority (53%) of voters believe that public schools in their community prepare students for success in college.
But, only about a third believe Rhode Island schools prepare students for jobs — just 37 percent, 45 percent say RI schools do not, and 18 percent are not sure.

Nearly two-thirds of people surveyed (65%) said they favored the Governor’s $250 million bond proposal for public school repair and construction throughout the state over the next five years.

More than 40% of survey participants called the condition of school facilities a “great” problem. Almost 30% rated parent-school communications as a “great” problem, and 24% described the adequacy of state financial support for schools in their community as a “great” problem.

More than 93% of voters said the need for STEM classes (science, technology, engineering and math) was “extremely” or “very” important.  Likewise, 87% said it was “extremely” or “very” important to have computer technology that would prepare students for careers. More than 79% felt art and music classes were “extremely” or “very” important, while 67% said the need for advanced academic classes was “extremely” or “very” important.

The poll was conducted by Democratic consultant Joe Fleming’s firm — Fleming & Associates, between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, 2018, the telephone poll surveyed 422 registered voters, including 122 respondents with children in local schools.

The poll surveyed a variety of issues relating to Rhode Island’s K-12 school system and has a margin of error of 4.77%.

About the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University

The Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University provides public officials and others involved in the development, management, and execution of public policy with the tools and skills needed to make informed decisions and manage responsive organizations in order to govern and lead public sector and community organizations effectively. For more information on the Hassenfeld Institute, visit www.bryant.edu/hipl or call 401-232-6193.

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook