April 18, 2024

Parent survey gives mixed results on neighborhood schools

By Ty Rushing

The Newton Community School District has utilized the former Emerson Hough Elementary School for a number of things since it stopped serving as just an elementary school in the fall of 2010. The district has currently been researching various building configuration models, and another decision on Emerson could come into play in the future. (Ty Rushing)

Building configuration has been a contentious issue within Newton ever since the Newton Community School District moved away from the neighborhood schools concept in 2010.

With hard feelings still lingering on both sides of the issue, the current NCSD Board of Education is exercising precaution in its public discussions on the matter, which is why it opted to extend the opportunity for parents with K-6 students to participate in a building configuration survey.

Jim Gilbert, associate director of elementary services, presented results the district had gathered from more than 200 parents who elected to participate in the survey during Monday’s board meeting.

The participants of the survey had given their input during registration on Aug. 5 and 6 and during each of the four elementary buildings back-to-school nights.

According to the survey, 58 percent of respondents felt it was important to minimize student travel. In addition, 66 percent of respondents felt it was important to minimize the number of schools that students attend during their experience within the district.

Those numbers seem to support a move back toward neighborhood schools, and were additionally supported by 61 percent of respondents wanting the district to maximize opportunities for students to interact with students in other grade levels. Another 81 percent of respondents want to sustain long-term student-parent-staff relationships.

While those figures seemingly support neighborhood schools, other figures from the survey contradicted those numbers. Sixty-two percent of respondents felt that academic factors, such as instructional resources, curriculum focus, learning styles, teacher collaboration and student grouping should play a bigger role in determining building configuration.

The remaining 38 percent of respondents to that question felt that student travel, number of schools attending, grade level interaction and long-term student-parent-staff relationships should play a role in building configuration.

Gilbert and Superintendent Bob Callaghan estimated the participants of the survey represented at least 25 percent of K-6 parents in the district. They also estimated that there are more than 1,500 students in the district that fit into that category. Official enrollment numbers won’t be available until after Sept. 11.

Board member Nat Clark said he talked to around nine families who indicated they had no idea the surveys were taking place, and that they attended both registration and the back-to-school night open house.

Clark cited how hectic registration is and how parents could’ve missed this opportunity and was among one of the first board members to champion reopening the survey for parents.

“I think that it’s positive and exciting that A, we asked. And B, that we recognize that the community of our district is not accustomed to being asked,” said Sheri Benson, board vice-president.

“So it’s a developmental practice there, and if we look at school board elections as any sort of an indicator — while it would be nice to have more participation —  this is not bad.”

The survey will be available until Sept. 2 and can found at, https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Building_Configuration_Survey_3

Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6532 or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.