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Leander ISD reports small gains in student safety and belonging; district to expand student voice work
Summary
District leaders presented the formative review of Goal 5 — safe and innovative learning environments — showing incremental increases in survey scores for safety, wellness and belonging and outlining next steps including more campus-level student voice, technology upgrades and school marshal implementation work.
District leaders on Thursday presented a formative review of Leander ISD—s Goal 5: safe and innovative learning environments, reporting modest year-over-year gains on district climate surveys and outlining ongoing initiatives in facilities, technology and safety.
Kimberly (staff) told the board preliminary survey results show a steady 1–3 percentage-point increase in several measures, including classroom safety and a 3% increase in secondary students— emotional well-being. She said the superintendent—s Student Advisory Council (SESAC) reviewed the data and urged the district to ask more precise follow-up questions to understand why secondary acceptance and belonging measures remain lower (the presentation showed approximately 66% for a secondary acceptance/belonging dimension).
"The students praised our staff for building positive relationships," Kimberly said in her presentation, and SESAC suggested expanding connection opportunities based on interests and passions (nonacademic clubs, more class-bonding activities and No Place for Hate programs) so peer respect and belonging improve.
On facilities and technology: staff reported campus modernization is underway, the Linda Lippy Instructional Materials Center and Denise Geiger Compass Center are under construction for the 2025–26 school year, and the district is moving middle-school devices from Windows laptops to Chromebooks to save about $700,000 a year at the middle-school level. Training on interactive flat panels has increased teacher comfort with the panels from 24% at the start of the year to about 74% midyear, the presentation said. Staff said they are tightening digital-resource approval to protect student data and reduce redundancy among roughly 900 approved applications.
On safety and school policing, Shay (staff) reported the district submitted its application for the school-marshals program and has been working with TCOLE and local law enforcement; facilities work to secure the police office for inspection is underway and staff expect to post civilian and sworn positions as agency numbers and approvals arrive.
Trustees asked for more granular, campus-level student voice and pulse surveys to dig into the secondary belonging score and requested a breakdown by middle and high school. Administration said it would work with principals and student advisory groups and report additional findings and actions.
Why it matters: survey data about safety, belonging and wellness inform where the district directs counseling, student supports and extracurricular opportunities. Trustees emphasized the need to translate district-level trends into campus-level actions.
Who spoke: Kimberly (staff), Jason (staff), Shay (staff), and multiple trustees who asked for deeper student-voice and attendance/discipline alignment work.
What happens next: district will expand campus-level student feedback, refine climate survey questions, continue technology and facilities projects and proceed with school marshal implementation steps required by TCOLE.
