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Madison Launching Academy School Surveys

Starting the week of Nov. 26, the Town of Madison will conduct a residential telephone survey to measure the opinions of residents regarding potential uses for the Academy Street School, which has been closed since 2004.

The survey will be conducted by GreatBlue Research, Inc., a professional market research firm located in Cromwell. A random sample of registered voters and taxpayers in Madison will be called and the name of the firm, GreatBlue, will show up on the caller ID of those who have the technology at home. Others will see the number 860-740-4000, or a variation of that (e.g., 860-740-4005, -4006 or -4007).

“This survey will be vital in helping the Town of Madison gain a better understanding of residents’ preference among many proposals for potential future uses of Academy,” said Henry Griggs, chair of the Ad Hoc Academy Building Guidance Committee. “Previous surveys on that topic were useful to a point, but they were not designed to be statistically valid. The GreatBlue survey will take into account the views of registered voters in Madison, not just those who were motivated and able to respond over the Internet.”

The survey will cover a range of proposals for public or municipal use of the property, along with residential development proposals submitted to the town by private firms. A key component of the project will be a public education campaign using traditional media, social media, and a special website. Two public information meetings will be held in mid-November to review proposed options. Dates and locations will be announced soon.

Along with the telephone survey, Madison residents will also be able to fill in the same questionnaire in an online format, Griggs said. The online survey will run for two weeks and will appear as link on the town website.

“This approach will give those who are not among the random telephone sample a way to express their views. The results of the telephone survey and the online questionnaire will be analyzed separately and side-by-side. We want every voice to be heard,” Griggs said.

As required by the Code of Ethics of the National Council on Public Polls and the United States Privacy Act of 1974, GreatBlue Research, Inc., maintains the anonymity of respondents to surveys the firm conducts. No information will be released that might, in any way, reveal the identity of the respondent to the Town of Madison.

“I know from my own experience that the number of telemarketing calls and scam calls has reached the level of a plague. So it’s very important that Madison residents understand that GreatBlue is working for the town to help sort out a problem that has resisted a clear-cut solution for well over a decade,” Griggs said. “At this point, we know more about what people don’t want than about what they would like to see. The survey will not answer all questions for all time, but it might at last give us a general direction to go.”

Anyone who has questions about the survey can contact the Henry Griggs, chair of the Ad Hoc Academy Building Guidance Committee, at henry.griggs@yahoo.com.