CVSD scores high marks with community in survey

Citizens within the Central Valley School District think the district deserves A and B grades for educating Spokane Valley children.

According to a recent community survey conducted for the district by a Portland-based research firm, if graded like school students 72-percent of citizens said they would give the district’s overall efforts an A or B.

These grades are among the highest the research company has found after doing similar studies for 60 school districts in Washington state during the last 15 years, said Tom Eiland, a researcher with Conkling, Fiskum & McCormick.

“Basically it shows there is confidence in the school district,” Eiland said. “The community feels like (the district) is doing a good job; it shows that people are familiar with what’s going on in the district.”

Eiland highlighted the results of the survey – conducted at random by telephone Oct. 14 to 22 – for the Central Valley Board of Directors Monday night. About 250 residents from all parts of the district were called for the survey, which cost the district about $7,500.

According to the survey results, the primary concern about schools is overcrowding due to population growth, with 18 percent of residents listing that as their number one issue.

Five percent said there was too much emphasis on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning – also known as the WASL – and standardized testing. Forty-three percent said they had no concerns about the district.

With regard to upcoming issues, 58 percent of residents said they wanted to know more about the district’s long-range plan for facilities.

District spokeswoman Melanie Rose said that figure is probably high because of recent attention to a capital facilities plan proposed by the district. The school board voted Monday to place a $55.2 million bond before voters in a special mail-in election March 14 in order to remodel three aging school buildings and build two new schools in the eastern half of the district to help alleviate overcrowding.

Communication between the schools and the community also was a top priority, the survey showed. Six percent of citizens said the district had poor communication with parents and the community, although the majority – 55 percent – said what information they do get about the school district comes from district sources, like school newsletters.

“I think that school districts or any public entity needs to let their people they represent know what is going on,” Eiland said. “Transparency is important to many residents, and in a lot of cases the government agencies don’t communicate.”