Our Work - Schools

For nearly 25 years, EPIC▪MRA has been helping K-12 and ISD schools with their survey research needs and providing expert advice and assistance to local "YES" Committees. Whether it's a school construction bond, Headlee rollback, sinking fund, homestead business and commercial millage, special education or enhancement millage vote through intermediate school districts, EPIC▪MRA has the expertise and services to dramatically improve your chances of winning voter support for these kinds of proposals. EPIC▪MRA also regularly conducts surveys to measure community satisfaction with the schools and test public reactions to school policy options being considered by the board and administration.

Are you ready for your school district's next election?
Developing and executing a comprehensive voter education and contact plan in your school district is critical to winning voter approval of school funding proposals. If you haven't put a plan into operation already, your chances for success at the polls may be in jeopardy. EPIC·MRA offers several services to assist you in developing a proposal and winning voter support for it; including: survey research, database development and database "products."

Survey Research - At EPIC·MRA, all phases of our survey research projects are managed by the firm's principals, who are experts in their field. We approach each survey project with a strong commitment to quality and confidentiality. From writing and refining the survey instrument to meet your needs, to designing the survey sample frame, administering the interviews, entering the data, conducting the analysis, and compiling the written reports and advancing recommendations, EPIC·MRA partners with you every step of the way.

Database Development Services - EPIC·MRA can create a custom database for your school district that includes the name, address and telephone number of the registered voters residing in the school district. Working with you, we can add specific fields to the database that indentify particular groups, such as: parents, district employees, absentee voters, frequent voters, athletic boosters, band boosters, fine arts supporters, PTA members and other groups within the community that have an interest in the schools. An available option is to align the voter registration data with the school district's elementary school attendance boundaries. Segmenting the database in this manner gives the district more flexibility in communicating with residents in each of the attendance areas about the activities and events at each school.

Database "Products" - EPIC·MRA offers a broad range of database "products" to support the local "YES Committee" in its voter identification and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. These include telephone calling lists, mailing labels, neighborhood walking cards, GOTV calling lists, Election Day poll lists and automated (ROBO) calls.

Selected EPIC·MRA K-12 and ISD Projects

Bay City Schools
In 2001 the district placed a $77 million bond proposal before voters that failed; garnering only 22 percent of the vote. EPIC·MRA was hired in 2005 to conduct an in-depth community survey to determine what voters might be willing to support, both in terms of specific projects and the tax levels needed to build them. Subsequently, a scaled-back proposal totaling $69 million was placed on the November 2005 ballot, but failed by a margin of just 800 votes. A post election analysis by EPIC·MRA showed that many of the identified "yes" voters had failed to go to the polls in that election. In May 2006, a $67 million bond proposal, reflecting voter priorities identified by the survey, passed by 54 votes. Unlike previous efforts, the May 2006 campaign included an intensive Election Day get-out-the-vote program, using database tools supplied by EPIC·MRA.

Charlotte Public Schools
After three bond proposals solidly failed to earn voter support in 1996, EPIC·MRA was hired to ascertain why voters opposed the proposals and what they might be willing to support. EPIC·MRA's survey research showed that while the public was solidly opposed to an auditorium, swimming pool and the funding for athletic facility improvements, they were fairly split on a proposal to build a new middle school. The survey also found that voters were less than enthusiastic in their support of the school administration and board. Working with the district over the next several years and multiple elections, EPIC·MRA helped the Charlotte Schools shape a comprehensive program to improve communications with the community. As a result, the district not only dramatically improved its image, but also earned voter approval for a bond proposal that included the construction of: a new middle school, an athletic complex with a football field and gymnasium, a swimming pool, and an auditorium that is used for both school functions and community activities.

EPIC·MRA's partnership with the Charlotte Schools clearly demonstrates that using survey research data, coupled with an ongoing communications effort with voters, is the most effective way to build and sustain community awareness and support for school programs and facilities.

Detroit Public Schools
EPIC·MRA conducted a survey for the Detroit Public Schools to measure community satisfaction with the school district and seek input about the district's policy needs and spending priorities. The survey findings were used by the district to evaluate policy and spending priorities, especially in the area of student safety, and assess its communications efforts.

Dexter Community Schools
EPIC·MRA conducted a survey for the Dexter Community School District in 2007, testing support for a construction bond proposal of up to $60 million. The survey found that a narrow majority of 53 percent supported the proposal. When survey respondents were informed that the bond proposal could be rolled into the district's other bonded debt and extended without a tax increase, support increased to 68 percent. Subsequently, the Dexter Community Schools scaled back the proposal to $47.9 million and placed it on the ballot, where it was approved by voters in May 2008 vote by a 67 percent "yes" to 33 percent "no" margin.

East Lansing Public Schools
After a $67 million bond proposal failed to win voter approval in 1999, EPIC·MRA was engaged to conduct a community survey to determine why the proposal had failed and what kind of bond proposal voters would be willing to support. Survey research showed that the public, especially men, objected to demolishing the football stadium to make space for the construction of a new high school. Voters also indicated support for a variety of improvements to existing buildings, and expressed their preference for multiple ballot proposals giving them a choice of options, instead of one. Voters solidly approved two of the three bond proposals on the ballot, and narrowly approved the third, including a $47 million proposal to improve the high school, $13.9 million to improve the middle school, with a nearly $5 million proposal to add a swimming pool addition to the high school by a slim margin.

Fenton Area Public Schools
Using information garnered from a survey conducted for the Fenton Area Public Schools in 2005, EPIC·MRA recommended that the district place two separate bond proposals before voters instead of a single proposal for $32 million. The survey showed that passage of a proposal to fund school improvements could be jeopardized by other projects, specifically proposals for a pool and gymnasium. Using the survey data, the district presented two separate proposals to voters. The main bond proposal for $24.5 million was approved by a 61 percent "yes" vote, while the second proposal for $7.5 million lost narrowly by 53 votes.

Grand Rapids Public Schools
Over the past several years, EPIC·MRA has conducted a number of surveys for the Grand Rapids Public Schools. These surveys have focused on testing voter opinions about potential bond proposals, as well as measuring public sentiment about developing "magnet schools" with specialized curriculums. The district has used this survey research to guide its deliberations in shaping the scope of school construction bond proposals for vote approval and in making enrollment in the district's "magnet schools" available to students throughout Kent County.

Lansing Public Schools
In 2003, EPIC·MRA survey research helped the Lansing School District develop two bond proposals including one for $67.5 million to build a new Pattengill Middle School, make improvements at several other schools, build science labs at the secondary schools and improve the district's high school athletic facilities. This proposal won voter approval by 58 percent, which was the level of support predicted by the survey.

A second proposal, to fund a new swimming pool at the new middle school and make other improvements to the district's athletic facilities, including artificial turf at the football stadiums, had little support and failed to gain voter approval. EPIC·MRA's survey research helped guide the school district in its' decision to present voters with two separate the proposals instead of a single one. Presented with a choice of proposals, voters opted to approve the main proposal for a new school and other needed facility renovations and defeated one for a pool and other athletic facility improvements.

Midland County Educational Service Agency
In November of 2008 EPIC·MRA conducted a survey for the Midland County Educational Service Agency to determine if there was sufficient public support to place an enhancement millage proposal on ballot in 2009.  Even in the extremely difficult economic times the country, state and all local communities were facing, the survey results showed that the public would be willing to increase their own taxes to provide Midland area schools with the funding needed to operate their local public schools.  A 1.5 mill enhancement millage proposal for 5 years was approved by voters in the Midland County ESA by a 63 percent majority, making the them the third ISD/ESA in Michigan to garner voter approval of an enhancement millage.

Ovid-Elsie Area Schools
EPIC·MRA survey research found that decisions made in the past by a previous school board to demolish two junior high schools when the communities of Ovid and Elsie combined was a major factor in the community refusing to support a new junior high school that was now needed. By openly discussing the previous decision and providing effective communications about the need for a new junior high school, the district was able to persuade enough voters to support a new junior high school.

Troy Public Schools
In 2003 EPIC·MRA conducted a survey for the Troy Public Schools to measure overall public support for a school construction bond proposal totaling approximately $100 million. The survey also gauged the level of community support for specific school improvement projects. Survey results indicated that approximately 58 percent of voters supported a proposal totaling over $100 million, with 51 percent indicating that they "firmly" supported such a proposal. Subsequent to a review of the survey findings, the district placed a proposal on the June 2004 ballot for $119.3 million in construction projects and earned the support of 52 percent of the voters in that election.

Utica Community Schools
Survey research conducted by EPIC·MRA assisted Utica Community Schools in the developing a $141 million school construction bond proposal successfully approved by district voters in 2003. This proposal provided improvements for most of the school district's facilities, including school buildings and athletic facilities. Most recently, EPIC·MRA conducted a survey for the district testing voter receptivity to a host of options aimed at providing additional improvements in the district's school facilities. The Utica school district developed a $112 million bond proposal, placed it on the May 5^th 2009 election ballot, and it was approved by a narrow 21 vote margin. 

Kalamazoo RESA
Over the past several years, EPIC·MRA has conducted a series of surveys for the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. In addition, EPIC·MRA has also provided Kalamazoo RESA with database services and assisted with the design and content of informational mailings sent to district voters. EPIC·MRA also provided the local "Yes" Committee with database products to support its efforts to win voter approval of both a special education millage proposal and a bond proposal to fund the construction of a new special education teaching facility.

Kalamazoo RESA is one of only two Michigan intermediate school districts that has passed an enhancement (and a renewal) millage to fund program operations in its constituent K-12 districts. In today's troubled economy, it is likely that more ISD's may consider using the Kalamazoo RESA model to communicate with and convince voters about the need for additional tax dollars to support basic school operations.

Kent Intermediate School District
EPIC·MRA has worked extensively with the Kent ISD to provide survey research data that's been used to shape successful campaigns to win voter approval for special education millage proposals and their renewal, as well as local school district school construction bond proposals. In addition, EPIC·MRA has also provided consulting assistance to the Kent ISD and local "Yes" committees about the design and content of various types of informational literature associated with these millage and bonding proposals.

School district and ISD clients
Addison Community Schools
Alpena Public Schools
Atherton Community Schools
Baldwin Community Schools
Bay City Schools
Bedford Community Schools
Bentley Community Schools
Birmingham Schools
Bloomfield Hills Schools
Brighton Area Schools
Byron Area Schools
Charlotte Community Schools
Clinton Community Schools
Centerline Schools
Chelsea School District
Comstock Public Schools
Dansville Schools
Davison Community Schools
Detroit Public Schools
Dexter Community Schools
Dryden Community Schools
East Detroit Public Schools
East Lansing Schools
Eaton ISD
Eaton Rapids Public Schools
Fenton Area Public Schools
Ferndale Public Schools
Farmington Public Schools
Flint Public Schools
Grand Blanc Public Schools
Grand Ledge Public Schools
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Genesee ISD
High Park Schools
Holt Public Schools
Imlay City Community Schools
Ingham ISD
Ithaca Public Schools
Kalamazoo RESA
Kenowa Hills Schools
Kent ISD
Lake City Schools
Lake Fenton Schools
Lansing Public Schools
Lapeer Community Schools
Leslie Public Schools
Linden Community Schools
Livingston ISD
Macomb ISD
Madison Schools
Marshall Public Schools
Midland County ESA
Midland Public Schools
Montrose Area Schools
Mount Morris Schools
Morenci Public Schools
Muskegon ISD
Northwest Community Schools
Northville Public Schools
Oakland ISD
Ovid-Elsie Area Schools
Ottawa ISD
Owosso Public Schools
Parchment Schools
Pinckney Community Schools
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
Pontiac City School District
Rochester Community Schools
Romeo Community Schools
Saginaw Township Community Schools
Saugatuck Public Schools
Shepherd Public Schools
Southfield Public Schools
Southgate Community Schools
Stockbridge Community Schools
St. Clair ISD
St. Louis Public Schools
Tecumseh Public Schools
Trenton Community Schools
Troy Public Schools
Utica Public Schools
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
Warren Consolidated Public Schools
Wayland Union Schools
Wayne RESA
Wayne Westland Public Schools
West Bloomfield Schools