Last chance to take school district's survey

St. Charles School District 303 residents have until midnight Monday to take an online survey about community relations.

The anonymous questionnaire, at 303survey.org, asks how generally informed taxpayers feel, where they get information and what kind of communication they want from the district, among other questions.

"As a parent, I think the schools do a pretty good job communicating what's going on in the district, particularly in that school," said Scott Nowling, school board member and community relations committee chairman.

"Our question is, how do we go beyond that parental communication to the broader community?"

The survey is one component of a larger effort by the district to get the public to be more involved in decisions about school policy, facilities, finances and staffing.

Until late 2006, the district paid a community relations director about $76,000 a year. The full-time position changed hands twice after former spokesman Tom Hernandez left for another job, but it has remained vacant since a St. Louis-based public relations firm was hired last November to lead a series of community meetings at a cost of $11,000 a month.

Nowling said he hopes the communications survey will help gauge whether the position is something taxpayers support. The response might be considered in drafting the district's next budget.

Nowling said residents regularly tell the board they miss a near-daily e-mail dispatch that Hernandez developed in response to East High School's notorious mold crisis in 2001 but fell by the wayside when he left.

The e-mails, publicizing various goings-on in the district, went out to some 5,000 addresses as well as to all district employees. The district has about 43,000 registered voters, officials said.

"I think people really enjoyed the option of having that information," Nowling said. "Universally, it was well-received. It's one thing people have asked for pretty consistently from most board members."

The district's survey can be taken through the end of the day Monday. Those without Internet access can call (630) 513-3030 for a hard copy.