Dist. 204 looks at communication

Attempting to make good on months worth of promises to be better communicators and more transparent, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 Monday outlined their new communication plan.

Included in the plan is an updated community survey to be conducted in October and a survey of staff to gauge how they view internal communication, as well as the placement of meeting agendas and supporting documents online for easier community access and redesigns of individual school Web sites.

According to the proposal laid out by J. Bradford Senden, partner of the California-based Center for Community Opinion, the $17,750 survey will explore community reaction to and satisfaction with the district's classroom programs and student services. In addition, the questionnaire, which will survey 400 random community members, will explore community reaction to the idea of retrofitting the district's school buildings to air-condition classrooms and offices.

Senden will present the survey results to the district on Nov. 23.

Board President Curt Bradshaw said he feels it is important that air conditioning be addressed in the survey because it was such a highly mentioned item on previous surveys in 2005. Currently, only two of the district's 21 elementary schools - Owen and Peterson - have air conditioning.

A second direct mailing focusing on standardized test scores and district finances also will be sent out in late fall.

The district also has begun putting more information out via a new direct e-mail system for parents and with news postings on the district and school Web sites.

District spokeswoman Janet Buglio said the number of news items posted in the last year has nearly doubled from 1,600 items posted previously to more than 3,100 new items in the past year.

"Our numbers are up in every thing we track, be it e-news or Web site traffic," Buglio said. "The numbers are really encouraging that information is getting out to those who want it."