Dr. Dennis Pool

In 1991 Nebraska school superintendents and building administrators were surveyed to determine their opinions regarding the physical condition and adequacy for student instruction in their school districts. Superintendents were surveyed regarding their districts' fiscal capacity to maintain and construct school facilities. The survey responses were analyzed and categorized into five indexes: 'Class' of Nebraska school district, 'Quartile of Valuation/Pupil,' 'Population Change Category' of 1990 county census, time 'Periods of Facility Construction,' and instructional type of 'Building Category.' The Pearson chi square test of independence was used to test for significant differences, and a contingency coefficient was calculated to determine the effect of the differences. Significant differences were found in the Nebraska administrators' opinions of the condition and adequacy of their school facilities when the facilities were compared by the different categories. Building administrators reported 18 percent of their buildings were overcrowded; 18 percent were 'poor' facilities for existing instructional programs; 40 percent prevented or inhibited desired changes in instructional programming; 10 percent of the buildings were not generally free from safety hazards, and 55 percent of the buildings were not completely handicapped accessible. Significant differences also were found in the responses of superintendents concerning their districts' fiscal capacity for maintenance and construction of facilities. Superintendents in districts where patrons had access to more property valuation/pupil had lower special building or sinking fund levies, less facility bond debt, and a higher rate of confidence in the future fiscal self-reliance for facility needs in their districts. Superintendent responses in counties of increasing population indicated a high need and urgency for facility bond issue referendums, while superintendents in counties experiencing decline had many older buildings in need of replacement and were not as confident of referendum success.