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District 58 highlights stable survey results, approves ParentSquare contract for district communications
Summary
Survey results showed steady satisfaction with schools and an increase in teacher communication scores; the board approved a three‑year ParentSquare contract and a limited rollout starting next school year.
District officials told the board on June 9 that two district surveys — the school environment survey and a separate communications survey — showed largely consistent satisfaction levels and identified curriculum, communication and engagement as the most common suggestions for improvement.
Megan Hewell, who presented the results, said the district offered the school environment survey in English and Spanish and that quantitative responses were “remarkably consistent” with prior years. The district reported that 88% of respondents said “my child’s teacher communicates with me about my child’s progress,” the highest result the district has recorded for that item, and that nine of 19 quantitative school‑environment questions matched last year’s results exactly.
Why it matters: The communication survey guided the district’s choice of a new communications platform. Officials said the district’s centralized newsletter, Communicate58, now has a roughly 72.5% open rate — up from about 50% several years ago and above the industry average cited in the presentation — and that families cite principal and school newsletters as preferred information sources.
Formal action: The board voted to approve a three‑year contract with ParentSquare for a total cost of $74,962.62. The district plans a limited ParentSquare rollout in 2025–26 with full implementation in fall 2026.
Additional survey details: The communications survey ran in May and drew 325 responses. Key topics where respondents asked for more information included curriculum, new programs and student support services. Open‑ended comments praised staff and cited consistency and timeliness of communications as strengths while calling for clearer, more streamlined messaging and additional translation/accessibility options.
Next steps: Staff said they will post the communications survey results online and begin the limited ParentSquare rollout next year; they also plan outreach to boost survey participation (for example, offering opportunities to complete surveys at school events) and additional website training for school staff to keep calendar and contact info updated.
Ending: District officials said they will continue to use survey feedback to shape communications strategy and will report back as ParentSquare implementation proceeds.
