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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

CV District goes on line to collect comments

Central Valley School District is using ThoughtStream to collect information before potentially putting a bond on the ballot next year.

The program allows individuals to take an online survey.

So far, 708 participants have shared 4,031 thoughts.

“We’ve never had 708 people comment on these things,” said Superintendent Ben Small.

In the past, the district relied on community forums to try to gauge where the concerns of the community are before they crafted a plan. Forums are still part of the process: Last month, there were two community forums and about 40 people came to share their ideas. Small said these meetings are still very important and vital to the conversation, but the district wants to reach out to more community members.

“People are busy, they can’t (always) get to a meeting,” said spokeswoman Melanie Rose.

The second half of the survey is online now. People can sign in through Thursday and prioritize ideas the district received from the first survey.

Small said the surveys help the capital facilities committee come up with a better product for a bond, something the district is planning heavily for after enrollment started growing considerably in the past two years.

Along with a population growth and crowded middle schools, the district also needs more space because of full-day kindergarten and smaller class sizes in the lower primary grades.

Voters rejected the district’s last bond attempt in 2011, which would have financed $69.6 million to upgrade buildings and security systems.