The results of the BCTA Clarksville Survey are now available and included herein:
The survey included 205 individuals (102 female, 103 male) and involved 5 zip code areas:
by Gender |
|
|
|
| Total | 205 | 100% |
| F | 102 | 50% |
| M | 103 | 50% |
by Zip |
|
|
|
| Total | 205 | 100% |
Clarksville | 12041 | 36 | 18% |
Delmar | 12054 | 55 | 27% |
Feura Bush | 12067 | 25 | 12% |
Slingerlands | 12159 | 78 | 38% |
Voorheesville | 12186 | 11 | 5% |
The first question read:
Closure of the Clarksville Elementary School in the Bethlehem Central School District has been proposed as one way to balance enrollment and financial issues in future years. Please indicate your likely level of support or opposition to this proposed closure. The scale will be very strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, very strongly oppose:
Total | 205 | 100% |
Strongly support | 26 | 13% |
Somewhat support | 23 | 11% |
Somewhat oppose | 24 | 12% |
Strongly oppose | 122 | 60% |
[dnr] Unsure | 10 | 5% |
The next question read:
The closure of the Clarksville Elementary School and the resulting ramifications could be seen as a favorable outcome by some and an unfavorable outcome by others. In your estimation would you consider the closing of Clarksville Elementary, overall, to be a very favorable, somewhat favorable or not at all favorable outcome?
Total | 205 | 100% |
Very favorable | 15 | 7% |
Somewhat favorable | 40 | 20% |
Not at all favorable | 140 | 68% |
[dnr] Unsure | 10 | 5% |
The results were then sorted by zip code areas and gender:
Question #1
| 12041 | 12054 | 12067 | 12159 | 12186 | Total |
| F | M |
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 100% | 100% |
Strongly support | 0% | 20% | 0% | 19% | 0% | 13% |
| 15% | 11% |
Somewhat support | 3% | 0% | 8% | 24% | 9% | 11% |
| 12% | 11% |
Somewhat oppose | 8% | 15% | 4% | 10% | 36% | 12% |
| 11% | 13% |
Strongly oppose | 89% | 58% | 84% | 40% | 55% | 60% |
| 58% | 61% |
[dnr] Unsure | 0% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 0% | 5% |
| 5% | 5% |
Question #2
| 12041 | 12054 | 12067 | 12159 | 12186 | Total |
| F | M |
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 100% | 100% |
Very favorable | 0% | 11% | 0% | 12% | 0% | 7% |
| 9% | 6% |
Somewhat favorable | 0% | 15% | 20% | 31% | 27% | 20% |
| 23% | 17% |
Not at all favorable | 97% | 71% | 72% | 51% | 73% | 68% |
| 65% | 72% |
[dnr] Unsure | 3% | 4% | 8% | 6% | 0% | 5% |
| 4% | 6% |
Finally, the results available to us as of this date include:
BCSD Poll for Bethlehem CTA - RE: 2.11, Canvassing on Proposed Closure of Clarksville Elementary, Among Selected District Parents
Analysis of Q4 - Is there any other alternative you might suggest before resorting to the closure of Clarksville Elementary?
1. Noteworthy that for the word ‘close’ and aliases, 27 of 36 responses dealt with an alternative school-related closure – e.g., Eagle, Elsmere and Hamagrael was also mentioned
2. Other responses related to closure of the administrative offices, older buildings, etc.
3. ‘Close’ and aliases account for the largest word frequency with those 36 occurrences
4. District, redistrict, redistricting – 34 times make this word and aliases the second largest word frequency count from the sample question
5. Of 34, 24 specifically dealt with redistricting or redistrict as alternative options to the closure of Clarksville Elementary
6. A verbatim list of the responses follows in an as is, as recorded state at the time of interviews, for your perusal and to possibly suggest further analysis:
Note: 99 is a uniform code for no actual or informative response given and those were removed (86) leaving us 121 verbatims with content:
a lack of fore thought from admin and school board |
admin to look at teachers salary , insurance and pension costs methods |
administration is top heavy and redistrict it again |
administrative cuts and closing admin offfices |
analyze viability of the closeness of elementary schools redistricting |
check to see viability of closing other elementary schools and rental of prop |
clarkville will continue to grow with nanotech and we should use caution |
close a different elementary closer to eagle |
close and sell eagle school and redistribute students more pub awareness |
close eagle |
close elesmere or hamagrael |
close elsemere and rent out to raise revenue |
close elsemere building too old |
close elsemere no land too many schools in town |
close elsemere older school no room for expansion |
close elsemere or glenmont and sell them worth more money |
close elsmere due to its real estate value |
close elsmere school |
close glenmont and sell the property worth more |
close hammergrill and sell for revenue |
close of elsemere better control budget |
close or do something different with elsemere look for other revenues |
close the eagle elementary school make eagle a middle school |
closing another school that they havent put 3 mil into recently |
closing elsemere and move district offices there |
closing elsemere and using it as district offices and lease out extra space |
closing elsemere elementary |
closing elsmere and renting to generate income |
consolidate the central offices and contract out the busses instead of buying |
could close elsmere and make that district offices and then sell building |
cross the board cuts increase efficiency such as busing redistrict |
cut back on technology and sports |
cut higher paid adminisstrators |
cut other services |
cut spending |
cut technology budget for middle and high school |
cutting admin salaries |
decrease superintendant salary |
dont purchase laptops for jr hi |
DONT PUT COMPUTERS INTO EACH KIDS HANDS |
early retirement incentives |
education before sports sports self funding a lot to be saved |
elesmere is need of renovation worse shape than clarksville |
eliminate waste small cuts to make school efficient |
elsemere closure |
feeze all salaries pension and benefits |
freeze pay |
get rid of the laptop idea |
hire a better consulting firm next time they do a redistricting |
if staff would go a year without a pay raise |
lay off the big wigs who make all the money |
look labor cntracts and modify them and the bussing sitatin clse adams pl |
look at 8 mil for laptops. cut back on sports. clarksville is only one be expa |
look at budgetary cuts such as lap tops to middleschol students |
look at closing elsemere |
look at closing elsemere |
look at closing glenmont and leasing it out and make revenue |
look at closure of elsmere and use it as commecial |
look at extra curricular and sports and why eagle? fisher blvd development? |
look at hamagrail school to close it is older and small use for offices |
look at outsourcing of bussing or evaluationg if busses are needed |
look at whole pic tighten the budget close older buildings redistrict |
look closer at the budget to try to avoid this closure |
look into conditions of elsemere elmentary |
look into tighten their belt cut sports |
looking into bus service outside of the district |
make it a tech school or some other special school for gifted prgms |
more funding option closing elsemere cut deeper into sports |
move district office and sell that building |
move out of adams and close elsmere admin & athletic exp share staff |
moving district offices shut down 90 adams place |
no |
no |
not doing 8 mil computer, cut extra curricular prgms fisher project |
not look into new technology for rest of schools |
par down administrators at all schools |
pay cut for higher political powers |
possibility of renegotiation of contract |
privatize bus service |
raise taxes rebalance classrooms by redistricting |
readjust the district lines to even out school population |
redistrict |
redistrict |
redistrict again |
redistrict again |
redistrict more evenly |
redistrict the school district |
redistrict to balance out school population |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting |
redistricting and closing 90 adams place(do) & relocating that at el school |
redistricting bring more students to clarksville |
redistricting whole district |
reducing salaries of administration. |
relocate district office in clarksville |
renegotiatesalaries |
reorganization of the school board and eagle el was not needed |
salary freeze |
salary heALTH CARE AND PENSIONS OF ADMIN TEACHERS SRP |
slingerlands k-2 and clarksville 3-5 slingerlands is already setup for kinderg |
splitting the classes |
stop building and keep existing schools open |
stop running nearly empty busses |
stop spending money dont have |
stop spending so much money on technology laptops |
teachers not take a salary for a year and also superintendent. do like others |
throw out the school board and come up with realistic workable options |
tighten belts find savings elsewhere |
turn into lab school make it a science and tech school |
what about elsmere it needs lots of work |
whatever you do do it quick to limit the impact on the children |
why did they build eagle |
why not look at elsmere school at the same time |
you would rather see an elementary school close than split |