St. Charles school survey shows record parent satisfaction

Parents of students in St. Charles' schools gave District 303 their highest marks ever in a recent satisfaction survey.

The results are a happy surprise to district officials because they come during public discussions about possible school closures and a tax increase request.

More than 2,500 parents took the online-only survey in early December.

About 88 percent of the parents said they were either very or mostly satisfied with their child's school.

That's two percentage points higher than the record mark the district posted in last year's survey.

The number held true through all three of the major grade levels. Middle school parents are the happiest in the district with 89 percent of survey respondents providing very or mostly satisfied ratings.

They will be a key audience for the district in coming months. School board members are contemplating a tax increase referendum that would trigger the closure of Haines Middle School, a modernization at Wredling Middle School and a possible a total rebuild of Thompson Middle School.

School officials were most pleased about an eight percentage point increase in parent satisfaction at the high school level. About 87 percent of parents gave very or mostly satisfied ratings to their child's high school education.

Record high satisfaction marks tracked throughout nearly all the categories measured.

Teachers, schools, curriculum, buildings and district administration all garnered their highest satisfaction marks ever.

So did all of the individual core curriculum areas of study and related programs such as art, music and physical education.

High school guidance hit a record high, which district staff members said is a key part of why high school satisfaction rose so much overall this past year.

"We've seen a lot of staff development across the two high schools," said David Chiszar, the district's executive director of assessment and accountability. "The counselors are working better with students. There's been more training, improved communication and professional development activity. The story is really within the schools and the things that they are doing."

Superintendent Don Schlomann and the school board were one of the few groups to see a decline in satisfaction ratings.

Both recorded high water marks for parent satisfaction in the previous survey.

This year, their satisfaction marks fell by less than one-tenth of a point. Chiszar said such small drops are nothing either Schlomann nor the board should be concerned about.

School board elections are in April 2017.

Schlomann will retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

Scores are on a five-point scale, with five the top score.

<b>Most Satisfied:</b>1. District teachers - 4.61

2. Music education - 4.39

2. District schools - 4.39

4. Physical eduction - 4.36

5. Learning resource centers - 4.33

5. Reading education - 4.33

<b>Least Satisfied:</b>1. Food service - 3.44

2. Guidance department - 3.73*

3. Superintendent - 3.81

4. School board - 3.89

5. Business education - 4.05

* Score is a record high

SOURCE: St. Charles Unit District 303 parent satisfaction survey, December 2015