Third-party staff survey: Sheldon ISD reports high engagement but flags concerns over time, resources and transparency

Sheldon ISD administrators presented results of a staff engagement survey administered by a third-party vendor (K12 Insight) at the April board workshop. The survey — the first to include all district employees (not just teachers) — showed strong engagement metrics alongside recurring concerns about time, resources and districtwide transparency.

Participation and method: The vendor sent 2,067 invitations and the survey achieved a roughly 25% response rate; the consultant said any response over 20% is acceptable for the instrument used. The survey used 53 Likert-scale items divided into categories such as leadership, mission/vision, recognition, work environment and career growth. The district also collected open-ended comments.

Findings — strengths: District staff reported several strong results. Roughly 74% of respondents were classified by the vendor as highly engaged or engaged; 92% said they are engaged in their work; 82% agreed they were proud to work for the district; and 81% said colleagues support them. Respondents also praised professional development opportunities and a collaborative workplace culture aligned with the district’s “One Sheldon” strategic messaging.

Findings — concerns: Open-ended responses commonly cited lack of time to complete duties, insufficient resources, a desire for clearer two-way communication about districtwide decisions, and requests for better behavior-management supports and parent accountability. Financial pressures and pay were mentioned more often by paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff than by classroom teachers.

Retention signals and next steps: On a question about returning next school year, 74% said yes, about 5% said no, and roughly 21% were undecided. The district plans to convene staff ambassadors (representatives from each campus/department) to review the data on April 8 and develop measurable campus-level strategies. Administrators said they will repeat the survey in December 2026 to measure progress and allow time for implementation of improvement strategies.

Communications and supports: District leaders said they will expand communications that highlight staff strengths and external partnerships and will share information about available employee resources (for example, food assistance events, vendor discounts, and community foundation or nonprofit supports). Administrators flagged that some employees hesitated to open an emailed survey because it originated from an external vendor; the district said it had issued advance notices from district addresses to reduce that confusion and will adjust outreach accordingly.

District staff framed the results as a foundation for targeted improvement efforts, emphasizing continued investments in staff communication, structured behavior supports and recognition systems rather than immediate districtwide personnel changes.