Since the fall of 2022, we’ve sought feedback from Central 301 stakeholders and district families in a variety of ways.
NOVEMBER 2022 FOCUS GROUPS
In determining our plan forward in November 2022, we held a series of advertised Focus Group meetings at Central High School. All of our district families were sent a handful of emails to invite them to participate and we had a total number of 123 in person participants and 41 community members who attended our virtual sessions.
An overwhelming majority of community members from those conversations chose the plan that was voted on in April 2023.
SPRING 2023 SURVEY
After the vote, we wanted to learn more about what concerned or motivated our Central 301 family during the April election cycle. We sent out a survey designed to learn more about what our Central 301 stakeholders want for the future of our students in our district and what the concerns were relevant to the referendum question.
We received 1,045 responses from parents and families. In that survey, 58% of those who voted “Yes” in April 2023 said that “Enrollment Concerns” was the top element that motivated them during the election cycle. Of those who voted “No” on the referendum question, 55% said that the “Property Tax Burden” was their top concern leading into the election.
Coincidently there were more than 300 that filled out the survey that said they didn’t vote on the referendum question in the April Election. More than five out of six people said they wished they had voted. More than half who didn’t vote said they forgot and more than a third of those who didn’t vote said they assumed it would pass anyway.
We appreciate the honest feedback that we received over of the course of the spring. Some of the feedback made us as a district take a long look at how we communicate with stakeholders who don’t have students attending schools in our district.
“LET’S CONNECT!”
One of the notable issues that came up in the spring survey results was regarding communication sent out about the ballot initiative. In an effort to improve in this area and to make sure all stakeholders are aware of information regarding the district, the district developed a plan to reach out to community members that currently do not have students attending schools in our district.
Beginning in June 2023, the “Let’s Connect” postcard was sent to every residential address or post office box within our Central 301 district boundary lines without a student currently enrolled. You could scan the QR Code, or enter a link, to be taken to a survey and add your information to stay connected with the district. We encourage all stakeholders to stay connected to the district and learn more about how to be engaged in the Central 301 community.
To date, we’ve received contact information from nearly 400 people living within our district boundaries or people who carry a connection to Central 301.
“IN THE LOOP”
Once we started receiving responses from the postcard mailer, we founded our new “In The Loop” newsletter. It’s a two-page digital copy (posted every month at the district office) and sent to now more than 230 stakeholders without students or those with an intangible connection to Central 301. The content is simple and designed to open the doors of communication about district and school events, charity fundraising work by our student groups, policy changes, and of course ballot initiatives and issues that our Board of Education may face head on. It’s not meant to exclude any audience, whereas, through the high volume of communication on our ParentSquare system, most families have a level of familiarity with the content posted long before the newsletter is sent. In short, it’s meant to keep everyone else … “In The Loop.“
If you’d like to sign up, make sure you fill out our “Let’s Connect!” survey (you only need to do it once). Make sure you fill out the “a la carte” topic choices of interest so that we gather a more familiar idea of what ALL of our stakeholders are interested in learning more about.