Community forums open referendum discussions

The auditorium of Bloomington High School North turned into a quasi-game show Thursday, complete with questions and clickers.

The Monroe County Community School Corporation hosted its second community forum on the school budget referendum Thursday night.

A group of about 55 concerned citizens dotted the room, not sure what to expect as MCCSC superintendent J.T. Coopman welcomed the crowd and introduced four representatives from MGT of America, Inc. The firm was hired by the school board to gather information about community members’ concerns and interests about the school budget crisis to help construct a successful referendum.

As soon as MGT facilitator Dr. Bill Carnes took the microphone, the meeting took a turn most people weren’t expecting. Everyone in attendance received a clicker, and as some people looked at the cell phone-sized device with growing curiosity, Carnes said the 12-button gadget would be used to ensure that everyone’s voice was heard anonymously.

“I think that a lot of people might not have fully understood what this meeting was going to be like when they came,” MGT facilitator Joe Clark  said. “It’s kind of hard to explain this in a news release.”

Understanding of the high-tech process sunk in quickly as “How long have you lived in Monroe County?” projected onto the screen in front of the auditorium. Six options, numbered one through six and ranging from “0 — Not a Resident” to “20+ years,” were posted below the question. Participants simply pressed the number next to the answer fitting their demographic, and within minutes a bar graph appeared on the screen with the results.  

For the next 20 minutes the crowd played game-show contestant, answering about 26 survey questions as diverse as “How would you rate the quality of education students receive at MCCSC?” and “How important are athletic programs to you?”

Monroe County resident Angie Tate, parent of a recent high school graduate and an incoming freshman, thought the survey process showed the MCCSC is paying attention to parents’ concerns.

“I thought they did what they said they were going to do,” Tate said. “They listened to the community in a very futuristic way.”

With school board members observing in the background, MGT facilitators split the crowd into three small groups to get in-depth answers to certain survey questions. These groups of about 16 people took the tone of town hall meetings.  

Each group was led by an MGT facilitator who told them they were there to listen, take notes and make sure everyone had a chance to share their opinions. With the assurance of anonymity, people spoke freely and openly.

“People were really eager to share their thoughts and their feelings,” MGT facilitator Dodds Cromwell said. “They were also easy to engage in discussions.”

Not even the sound of pounding raindrops on the auditorium’s roof distracted the group.  

After about fifty minutes, each group member was given a two-question survey asking them to rank the top five areas of education they think the MCCSC needs to focus on and a second question about how long they have lived in Monroe County. The group dispersed as they completed their surveys.

When asked for her thoughts on the meeting, Tate said she had only praise for MGT and MCCSC. She said she felt comfortable sharing her feelings and certain that the school board would use all the information gathered. She did have one concern about the crowd, however.  

“It would be nice if more people showed up,” she said.

That sentiment was shared by Clark and Cromwell, who hope more people come to the meetings June 9 at Bloomington High School South and June 10 at Bloomington High School North, both from 7 to 8:30 p.m. If people are unable to make it to either of these meetings, they will still have a chance to participate.

From June 14 to 19, the MCCSC website will feature a link allowing people to take the same survey given at the meetings.  

“Once that data is put together, we’re going to draft a report, and at that point we’re going to release all the data and information we’ve collected hopefully toward the end of June,” Clark said.

By using a combination of high-tech gadgets and question-and-answer groups, the MCCSC hopes to show the community it is listening.

“I think this shows they’re willing to listen and get input on how everybody feels,” Tate said.