Marquette, MI— The Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education and administration recently received the results of a community-wide survey. The survey asked respondents for their input on how to address the more than $100 million of critical infrastructure and building systems needs that were identified by two separate facilities studies, one of which was done by the State of Michigan. It was mailed to every household within the District in September, and was also available online. The District values community input and appreciates the public’s participation in this important work.
School Perceptions, LLC., an independent data firm with extensive expertise conducting school district surveys, facilitated the survey process and gathered the confidential data collected from residents and staff. Dr. Rob DeMeuse, Vice President of Research with School Perceptions, reported the results to members of the School Board on Monday, October 13, 2025. A full report from School Perceptions, as well as an executive summary, is available on the district website on the Facilities Planning page.
Key Survey Findings:
· 1,929 respondents* (376 needed for statistical significance)
· 74% of respondents do NOT have children in the District (This subgroup represents approximately 80% of the community, based on the most recent American Community Survey Data (run by Census Bureau))
· 69% of resident parents supported the $60 million Priority 1 Projects Bond Proposal (This subgroup represents an estimated 20% of the community).
· 53.8% of all survey respondents support the $60 million Priority 1 Projects Bond Proposal.
· 72% of respondents feel that MAPS is delivering a high-quality education.
When asked to provide a summary, DeMeuse from School Perceptions said, “What did we learn? All major subgroups support the District exploring a bond proposal, and at least 50% of all subgroups support the $60 million Priority 1 Projects as a bond proposal.”
“We are grateful to our community, staff, and parents for participating in the district-wide survey,” shared Superintendent Zack Sedgwick. “We feel that this input will help inform and guide the School Board and administration as we develop a plan to best address the needs of our students and staff.”
More information is also available on the District’s website at https://www.mapsnet.org/page/facilities-planning. Questions can be directed to mapsinfo@mapsnet.org or 906-225-4200.
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*This number has been updated from the 1,907 responses reported on October 13, 2025, as there were additional mailed-in survey responses that came in after the board meeting. The additional responses did not affect the overall survey results.
