Trombly Headcount Survey Results

With assistance from local volunteers and city officials from Grosse Pointe Park, the Grosse Pointe Public Schools school district performed a headcount survey between March 10 and March 28, 2025. A single postcard was mailed with a unique id per address and families who received the postcard were asked to go online and complete a survey.

An analysis of the data has yet to be performed, but the summary of the results was presented at a School Board Meeting on April 14, 2025. You can view the slides from the presentation below and watch the presentation in the board meeting here: https://vimeo.com/1071262457.

High-Level Summary

The best thing you can right now is to read through the survey result summary and then either write the school board (schoolboard@gpschools.org) to encourage them to analyze the data or help perform an analysis yourself. Plante Moran suggests this is a 56.75% sample size of households with at least one child under 10. The projection of the remaining 43% of households is the foundation for any subsequent district wide planning.

Here is a high-level summary of the survey data that was presented:

  • There has not been an analysis of this data yet. Analysis is needed to confirm the positive results and plan accordingly. Trombly United believes the school board should direct the administration to analyze the data and provide projections of the total headcount in the area based on the large sample from the survey.

  • Plante Moran estimates there are a total of approximately 400 households containing at least one child Under 10 in the former Trombly Area.

  • There were 227 responses from Under 10 households from the 18-day survey. Given Plante Moran estimates, this is a 56.75% sample size.

  • The responses confirm the Plante Moran’s projection that the Trombly Catchment area is gaining 0-5 year old families. Plante Moran estimated a growth to 248 0-5 year olds in 2029. This headcount survey revealed at least 250 0-5 year olds with a 56.75% sample size.

  • A total of 396 “Under 10” children were counted in the 56.75% sample.

  • 71% of respondents who do not currently send their 5-9 year old children to Grosse Pointe Schools said they would if Trombly were open as an elementary school.

  • 89% of respondents with children 0-4 said they would send their child to a preschool offering at Trombly.

High-level Takeaways:

  • This data needs to be analyzed and similar data should be collected throughout the district (starting in highest-growth areas).

  • There is an opportunity to increase capture rate in the Trombly area by reopening Trombly.

  • There is an opportunity and appetite from the community to use Grosse Pointe Schools for preschool.

  • The last estimate from Plante Moran was that since 2017 the school district has seen a 10% drop in families that live within district boundaries choosing Grosse Pointe Schools. These survey results suggest a preschool+elementary school is a great fit for the schools in Grosse Pointe Park and likely district-wide. The school board should consider expanding its preschool offerings district wide. Michigan’s “PreK for All” initiatives allow for the school district to introduce preschool classrooms at little to no cost; many of the district’s elementary schools (including Trombly) already have rooms fit for 4yo preschool use (with things like an in-classroom bathroom).

Slides from Epic MRA’s Headcount Survey Summary

Below are the slides from the April 14th school board meeting. Some of the slides are confusing without context, so feel free to watch the presentation or reference previous slides to understand the charts you’re reading (for example, some of the breakdowns are specifically for households with kids aged 0-4 or households with kids aged 5-9).

This is a summary of the survey responses, a large 56.75% sample of households with at least one child under the age of 10. An analysis or projection of these results has yet to be conducted.

Note: The below slide is somewhat confusing.

These numbers are the totals from respondents. Not the estimated totals in the area. Plante Moran has estimated there are 400 households in the area that contain at least one child under 10. 227 households with a child under 10 responded to the survey. That implies a 56.75% sample size if Plante Moran’s estimates are correct.

So, for instance, “Age 0 to 4” having 172 children is from the 56.75% sample size. It is not an estimated total within the area.

Trombly United’s original volunteer survey

What kicked off this whole official district-wide survey was a door-to-door volunteer-run survey. The official survey’s results confirm and surpass the door-to-door survey’s results.

To date, this information has only been delivered to the school board. We share it here for transparency and in an effort to convince the school district to analyze its official results.

The volunteer run survey received 311 total responses (approximately 20% of households in the area). This yielded 235 kids aged 0-9 and 142 kids aged 0-4.