Results Summary
	Total:  191 Visible:  191

	1. Introduction and Basic Questions

1. 1. Please indicate which grade(s) your children are in at Cabot. Check all that apply.   Response Percent Response Total   Kindergarten 23.2% 44   1st grade 28.4% 54   2nd grade 23.2% 44   3rd grade 18.4% 35   4th grade 25.8% 49   5th grade 15.3% 29   Am an educator 1.6% 3     Other (please specify) 4.7% 9 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

2. 2. How long have you lived in Newton:   Response Percent Response Total     Less than 1 year 3.2% 6     1 to 2 years 8.4% 16     3 to 4 years 18.9% 36     5 to 10 years 26.3% 50     10+ years 38.9% 74     Not applicable - I do not live in Newton 3.2% 6     Other (please specify) 1.1% 2 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

3. 3. Are you a family new to Cabot this school year?   Response Percent Response Total     Yes 18.4% 35     No 81.6% 155 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

	2. Possible Solutions - Specialty Classrooms

1. 4. One option to alleviate overcrowding is to convert specialty rooms like the art room and/or the music room into classrooms. The implications of "art or music on a cart" would be that the quality of instruction would be compromised by the reduction of available time to actually teach due to setup/breakdown requirements, space limitation & noise issues. Please indicate the level to which you agree with each of the following statements. Do not agree at all Disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree Response Average I believe having a dedicated art room is important 1% (1) 1% (2) 1% (2) 3% (6) 10% (20) 29% (56) 54% (104) 6.28 I believe having a dedicated music room is important 1% (1) 1% (2) 2% (3) 4% (8) 9% (17) 27% (51) 57% (109) 6.28 Total Respondents   191 (skipped this question)   0

	3. Possible Solutions - School Districts

1. 5. The School Committee has long operated with the principle of neighborhood schools being important, where families living in or moving into a defined area have the opportunity to go to the local school regardless of space constraints. Space constraints at several schools make this idea of one community= one school less feasible. What are your views of a neighborhood school given this situation? Do not agree at all Do not agree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree Response Average All the children in my neighborhood should attend the same elementary school 2% (3) 5% (10) 4% (8) 7% (14) 16% (31) 26% (50) 39% (74) 5.66 All the children in my neighborhood should attend one of two elementary schools 14% (26) 8% (15) 11% (21) 10% (19) 21% (39) 27% (52) 9% (18) 4.36 All the children in my neighborhood should attend one of three elementary schools 37% (71) 25% (47) 11% (20) 8% (15) 9% (17) 6% (12) 4% (8) 2.62 All the children in my neighborhood should attend one of four or more elementary schools 53% (100) 22% (41) 8% (15) 9% (17) 5% (9) 3% (5) 2% (3) 2.06 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

2. 6. Currently, families who live in optional school districts have the ability to enroll their children in one of two schools. The School Committee is considering creating new "border zones" where every address in the zone is assigned to one of two schools and the School Committee would have the ability to direct families to school(s) that have capacity when overcrowding is an issue. Please indicate the level to which you agree with each of the following statements. Do not agree at all Disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree Response Average I believe the School Committee should have the right to assign new students to the less crowded school in the event of overcrowding 13% (24) 11% (20) 6% (11) 6% (11) 23% (44) 27% (51) 15% (29) 4.58 I would allow families that already have one or more siblings at an elementary school to elect to send their preschool children to the same school, regardless of overcrowding 3% (5) 1% (2) 3% (5) 2% (3) 8% (16) 25% (48) 58% (111) 6.22 I would give school choice preference to families with entering children based on the number of years they have lived in the community in the event of overcrowding 33% (63) 20% (38) 12% (22) 7% (13) 12% (22) 9% (17) 8% (15) 3.02 I would assign entering students to schools randomly in the event of overcrowding 25% (48) 27% (51) 17% (32) 12% (22) 8% (15) 8% (16) 3% (6) 2.88 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

	4. Possible Solutions: Cohort Redistricting

1. 7. One option to alleviate overcrowding is "cohort redistricting" where a group of Cabot students and teachers would be moved from Cabot School to another school for one year. If this were the only option for Cabot which would you prefer?   Response Percent Response Total     I prefer moving an entire grade of students and their teachers to another location for one year 92.6% 176     I prefer moving 1 to 2 classes of students and teachers in a grade to another location for one year 7.4% 14 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

2. 8. If you had to move one entire grade, which grade would you be most willing to move to another location? Choose one:   Response Percent Response Total     K 66.3% 126     1 0% 0     2 1.6% 3     3 6.3% 12     4 3.7% 7     5 22.1% 42 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

3. 9. If students and teachers had to be moved, how important would it be to provide the following incentives? Not at all important Not important Somewhat unimportant Neither important nor unimportant Somewhat important Important Very important Response Average Provide smaller class size 1% (1) 2% (4) 2% (4) 7% (14) 13% (24) 31% (58) 45% (85) 6.00 Provide free bus transportation 4% (8) 2% (3) 3% (5) 6% (11) 12% (22) 22% (41) 53% (100) 5.94 Provide ongoing interaction with the main school campus 3% (6) 3% (6) 3% (6) 8% (15) 14% (26) 19% (36) 50% (95) 5.83 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

	5. Possible Solutions - School Transfers

1. 10. Are you aware that it is possible for a family to request a permanent transfer of their chil(ren) from an overcrowded school to another local quality elementary school that is not overcrowded? Check one:   Response Percent Response Total     Yes and I know how the process works 16.8% 32     Yes, but I do not know how the process works 33.7% 64     No, I had no idea 49.5% 94 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

2. 11. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding school transfers: Do not agree at all Do not agree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree N/A Response Average I would consider transferring my child(ren) to another school next year 56% (107) 20% (38) 4% (8) 3% (6) 6% (12) 3% (6) 2% (4) 5% (9) 1.96 I would have considered starting my eldest/only child at another school if I knew the local school was overcrowded 24% (45) 16% (30) 7% (13) 4% (7) 15% (29) 18% (34) 11% (20) 6% (12) 3.71 I would have considered starting my second/third/fourth/etc,. child at another school if I knew the school my eldest child attended was overcrowded 38% (73) 21% (40) 10% (19) 3% (5) 5% (9) 3% (6) 3% (5) 17% (33) 2.20 Total Respondents   190 (skipped this question)   1

	6. Rating Potential Solutions

1. 12. Generally speaking, how willing are you to consider each of the following options to address short-term overcrowding at Cabot school? Not at all willing Not willing Somewhat unwilling Neither willing not unwilling Somewhat willing Willing Very willing Response Average Replace art classroom with "art on a cart" 30% (56) 23% (44) 14% (26) 5% (9) 17% (32) 6% (12) 5% (10) 2.96 Replace music classroom with "music on a cart" 30% (56) 26% (50) 11% (20) 5% (9) 14% (26) 8% (16) 6% (12) 2.97 Move a grade of students and teachers to another school for one year 13% (24) 13% (25) 14% (27) 3% (6) 29% (54) 20% (37) 8% (16) 4.14 Move one or two classes of students and teachers to another school for a year 32% (60) 26% (50) 17% (32) 4% (7) 14% (27) 5% (10) 2% (3) 2.65 Increase class size to over 25 students 46% (87) 28% (52) 12% (22) 2% (4) 8% (16) 3% (6) 1% (2) 2.13 Install a modular classroom(s) without affecting long-term renovation timing 1% (2) 1% (2) 2% (4) 3% (5) 4% (8) 18% (34) 71% (134) 6.46 Implement border zoning where the School Committee assigns new students to schools in cases of overcrowding 11% (21) 12% (22) 7% (13) 7% (13) 24% (46) 15% (28) 24% (46) 4.63 Implement border zoning where the School Committee assigns all students to schools in cases of overcrowding 27% (51) 17% (32) 19% (35) 4% (8) 19% (36) 6% (11) 8% (16) 3.23 Encourage student transfers 6% (12) 6% (11) 4% (7) 12% (23) 20% (37) 26% (50) 26% (49) 5.16 Total Respondents   189 (skipped this question)   2

2. 13. As the School Committee considers the range of options to address overcrowding, how important should each of the following factors be in guiding their decision making? Not at all important Not important Somewhat unimportant Neither important nor unimportant Somewhat important Important Very important Response Average Maintain small class size 0% (0) 0% (0) 3% (6) 2% (4) 16% (30) 31% (59) 48% (90) 6.18 Keep current students at the same school 0% (0) 0% (0) 2% (3) 1% (2) 16% (31) 30% (57) 51% (96) 6.28 Keep teachers at the same school 0% (0) 5% (10) 6% (12) 11% (20) 23% (43) 32% (60) 23% (44) 5.39 Minimize total cost to the town 10% (19) 14% (27) 22% (41) 13% (25) 22% (42) 13% (25) 5% (10) 3.84 Keep Cabot school renovation plans on schedule 1% (1) 2% (3) 3% (5) 5% (10) 11% (20) 27% (51) 52% (99) 6.14 Impact as few students as possible 0% (0) 6% (11) 7% (13) 11% (21) 20% (38) 21% (39) 35% (67) 5.49 Keeping siblings together at the same school 1% (2) 1% (1) 2% (3) 1% (2) 7% (13) 25% (48) 63% (120) 6.42 Allow all neighborhood children to attend the same elementary school 3% (6) 5% (10) 8% (16) 6% (12) 31% (58) 24% (45) 22% (42) 5.16 Total Respondents   189 (skipped this question)   2

3. 14. If you have any comments about the overcrowding situation (e.g. incentives to encourage school transfer, guiding principles the School Committee should use when making decisions), please share them here. Comments about the survey are also welcome:    View comments    82 (skipped this question)   109