Lake County School District 2023 Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of an online survey of 476 registered voters in Lake County School District. The interviews were conducted from May 18th – June 4th, 2023.

Lake County School District voters held a moderately positive overall opinion of the district, with a majority viewing it favorably and approving of its work educating students. However, sentiment about the district’s direction was more divided, with more voters saying it was on the wrong track than the right one, and a large share expressing no opinion either way.

On financial matters, voters were roughly split on whether the district had adequate resources to provide a good education, and a slim majority agreed the district spent taxpayer money responsibly, though a significant minority disagreed.

Perceptions of building conditions varied considerably across facilities. The Elementary School was seen as being in strong shape, and the High School was viewed reasonably well. By contrast, the Intermediate School and the Pitts building — which houses Cloud City High School and district offices — were viewed much more negatively, with many voters rating them in fair or poor condition.

When presented with three capital improvement plans of varying scope and cost, support declined as the price tag increased. The most modest plan, focused on basic safety and infrastructure repairs to the Intermediate School, earned majority support. The mid-range plan, which added educational and energy efficiency upgrades, was more closely contested. The most ambitious plan, which would have expanded the Elementary School and vacated the Intermediate School building, was rejected by a majority of voters.

When asked which plan they would prefer to vote on, voters were spread fairly evenly across all three options, with a notable share saying they did not want to vote on any of the plans. After being presented with additional context about the urgency of building needs — including aging mechanical systems and recent facility failures — voters generally became more inclined to support some form of action, particularly renovation of the Intermediate School.

Regarding optional add-ons, voters were fairly evenly split on including upgrades to Federico Field, while renovations to the Aquatics Center generated noticeably stronger enthusiasm than rejection. A brand-new aquatics facility drew more support than opposition, though a substantial share also leaned against it given the added cost.

Voter engagement appeared high, with a large majority indicating they were extremely or very likely to cast a ballot in a November election on a property tax measure tied to school infrastructure.