This Just In | Rare Poll Surveys Likely D209 Voters, Half Say 'They're Not Familiar' With Supt.'s Job Performance
Oak Park businessman Patrick Degnan, who wants to bring a charter school to Proviso, commissioned the professional poll done by Triton Polling and Research
Students entering Proviso East High School in Maywood last year. | File
It’s very rare for someone to commission an expensive poll in any local race, but a lot is riding on the outcome of Tuesday’s Proviso Township High School District 209 Board of Education election. Oak Park businessman Patrick Degnan tapped Triton Polling and Research to explore voter sentiment regarding a public charter school he wants to bring to the district.
The poll also explored voter sentiment around the top issues motivating them to vote and around Supt. James Henderson’s job performance, with half of the respondents saying they didn’t know much about his job performance since the board hired him three years ago. About half of the respondents expressed some measure of support for a public charter in the district and/or for candidates who support a public charter.
There is widespread debate on the pros and cons of charters. For a pretty fair assessment of the definition, history, and performance of public charters, read this U.S. Department of Education evaluation. You can also read more about Degnan’s specific proposal here.
Later in the day, I’ll publish a longer FAQ on the concept based on multiple interviews with Degnan and Claudia Medina, a D209 school board member who is running for reelection and who supports the proposal.
But since a professional poll in a local race is so rare, I thought I’d just present the results of the polling data given to me. The data comprises the raw, unweighted, preliminary totals. In an email, a Triton Polling employee said the raw totals are similar to the final, weighted, totals.
Triton Polling and Research is a “full-service survey, polling and market research firm” based in Oregon. The firm says its clients include the University of California Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania. You can read more about the firm’s polling methodology here.
The D209 poll is notable due to its very existence. Again, professional polling, let alone polling made public, in any local race outside of a big city mayoral race, is very rare. For one, they’re incredibly expensive. Degnan didn’t say how much money was spent on the poll, but Triton Polling’s website shows that they start at $3,000 and go up, based on factors like sample size and the number of questions.
The poll, completed in February, includes 322 likely voters in District 209. Degnan said Triton Polling called more than 30,000 people to get the 322 respondents. Around 83% of respondents reported not having children enrolled in D209. Around 60% of respondents were over 55, and around 67% were female. Forty-four percent of respondents were Black, 33% white, and around 10% were Hispanic.
Around 48% of respondents said quality of education is the main topic that “will influence who you will vote for in the incoming school board election.” Another 20% said school safety would influence their choice of candidate.
The poll found that 36% of respondents were “very likely” to vote for a candidate who supports “the development of a charter school (a public, tuition-free school run by different administrators in the Proviso School District) that prepared graduates for a vocational [career]).” Around 16% said they were “likely,” while around 17% said they were “very unlikely,” and around 6% said they were “unlikely.”
The poll also asked respondents about their opinions on the job performance of Supt. Henderson. Around 34% of respondents said they were “not sure" or “don’t know” about his job performance, while 28% said they had neither a favorable nor unfavorable opinion. Around 18% said the superintendent’s performance was “very unfavorable,” while around 8% said his performance is “somewhat unfavorable,” and around 8% and 5% of respondents said his performance was “somewhat favorable” or “very favorable.”
Around 23% of respondents said Henderson’s performance will have a “great deal of impact” on their vote, while 12% said his job performance will have “some impact.” Roughly 50% of respondents, however, said they were “not familiar with the issue.”