Submitted by North Thurston Public Schools
Every year North Thurston Public Schools turns to our community at large, to ask for feedback on leadership, student programs, fiscal responsibility, safety, communication, and more.
“It’s important for us to not only be accountable with how we invest public taxpayer dollars but to also get community feedback on what their values and priorities are when it comes to public education and their perception of how we are doing,” said Courtney Schrieve, Executive Director for Public Relations at NTPS.
The district conducts annual surveys with staff, students and families each year, as well as the community. Results from all the surveys except staff (shared by principals at each school), are posted on school websites under the “About our School” sections. A highlight from this year was that more parents said their child felt “safe at school.” In addition, five percent more of students surveyed said their schools has activities to celebrate different cultures.
Community results last year showed that the majority of those surveyed said that they believe the district meets or exceeds expectations for K-12 public education. Accelerated learning opportunities, well-maintained grounds and arts, athletics and activities access also received high ratings.
“We are proud of our district – the largest in Thurston County – but realize we always have room for improvement,” Schrieve said. The district has nearly 15,000 students, 2000 staff (full and part-time) and an 85 percent graduation rate. Nearly 50 percent of students are students of color. Their free and reduced enrollment count, an indicator of poverty, is about 42 percent.
Please take a moment to help us get better by taking this short online survey. Deadline is May 20. Thank you!
