A text poll in the field this week is probing whether the recent arrest of Superintendent Ian Roberts is a “convincing” argument against a bond issue that is a priority for the Des Moines Public Schools.

Voters in the Des Moines school district will decide on November 4 whether to approve a $265 million, 20-year general obligation bond to finance the Reimagining Education, Reinvigorating Schools initiative. The referendum needs at least a 60 percent “yes” vote to pass; the district hopes to expand or remodel all of the Des Moines high schools and nearly a dozen middle or elementary schools.

The survey tests two messages against the bond referendum and two supporting it, with a ballot test before and after respondents read the arguments. I enclose below the full questionnaire, drawn from screenshots shared by those who took the “Des Moines Schools Survey.”

Representatives of Yes for Des Moines Schools, a political committee formed this summer to support the bond issue, did not respond to Facebook or email messages seeking to confirm whether the group commissioned the poll. But the results could provide valuable information to that organization, which had raised $105,000 by mid-July, according to a campaign finance disclosure.

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Full questionnaire for the Des Moines Schools Survey, conducted by research.net:

1. In November, there will be a $265 million bond referendum on the ballot to approve investments in Des Moines Public Schools. If the election were held today, would you vote yes, in favor of the bond referendum, or no, against it?

(options are Yes, No, or Don’t know/Undecided)

2. Opponents argue that the district’s hiring of former Superintendent lan Roberts – who was in the country illegally, lied about his credentials, and fled from authorities – proves Des Moines schools are grossly mismanaged and can’t be trusted to spend the money from this bond appropriately. They argue we can’t waste more of our tax dollars until these issues are addressed.
How convincing do you find this argument?

(Very Convincing, Somewhat Convincing, Not too convincing, Not convincing at all, Don’t Know)

3. Supporters say the future of our schools is about more than one person, it’s about the 30,000 students in Des Moines Public Schools and the teachers who are committed to their success.
They say we owe it to our kids to pass the school bond so that we can expand career and technical education, improve preschool access, and modernize tech and science classrooms.
How convincing do you find this argument?

(Very Convincing, Somewhat Convincing, Not too convincing, Not convincing at all, Don’t Know)

4. Opponents argue that property taxes and costs are already high enough. We can’t ask homeowners to pay hundreds more each year on our schools when school leaders have proven they can’t be trusted. We shouldn’t spend more of our hard-earned money to fund a district that’s so poorly managed that it hired an illegal immigrant with a criminal record to be its superintendent.
How convincing do you find this argument?

(Very Convincing, Somewhat Convincing, Not too convincing, Not convincing at all, Don’t Know)

5. Supporters say Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican State Legislature have slashed funding for our kids’ schools for years and our kids have paid the price. Now, some Republicans even want to fully control Des Moines Public Schools. Voting yes on the bond referendum is our best way to stand up for Des Moines students and give them the education they deserve.
How convincing do you find this argument?

(Very Convincing, Somewhat Convincing, Not too convincing, Not convincing at all, Don’t Know)

6. Knowing what you know now, how do you plan to vote on the $265 million bond referendum on the ballot to approve investments in Des Moines Public Schools. If the election were held today, would you vote yes, in favor of the bond referendum, or no, against it?

(Yes, No, Don’t know/Undecided)

7. Finally, l’d like to ask you a few questions for statistical purposes. What is your age?

(18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-64, 65+)

8. Do you consider yourself a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent?

(Democrat, Republican, Independent)

9. What is your gender?

(Woman, Man, Non-Binary)

10. What racial or ethnic group best describes you?

(White or Caucasian, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Other)

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Top photo was taken on August 22, 2023 and published on the Des Moines Public Schools Flickr account.