School Survey Coming To Home Near You Cda District To Visit 300 City Residents During Random Poll On Educational Issues

Three hundred city residents will have an unusual chance to give the Coeur d’Alene School District a piece of their minds.

Over the next few weeks, 30 volunteers will conduct a random survey, visiting 10 houses each.

They will ask 120 questions that will be used to help plan future programs and facilities.

“It was our charge from the board of trustees to find out what the community wants from the school system,” said Mic Armon, vice chairman of the district’s Long-range Planning and Review Committee.

In the survey, residents will be asked questions such as whether the district is spending their tax money wisely, whether there’s a drug problem in the schools and whether they trust the school superintendent.

The topics arose in part from five discussion groups that were organized last spring.

A common theme among the 50 or 60 participants was a desire for less emphasis on teachers and administration, Armon said.

Their message, he said, was “We need to start looking at what’s best for the children.”

Participants also criticized a lack of communication between the school district superintendent and the community, he said.

The surveys will follow up to determine if the community at large shares those opinions, Armon said.

The planning committee will report its findings to the school board, probably in October.

Volunteer surveyors will be working outside of their own neighborhoods.

Identities of the people interviewed will remain confidential, Armon said.

The materials and consultation fees used in the surveys are being paid with private donations, he said.

, DataTimes