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York County presents school climate, working‑conditions survey results; pulse survey used to target problems
Summary
York County School Division presented staff and student survey results for 2024–25 showing high scores for safety and caring environments, lower scores for discipline consistency at the high‑school level, and ongoing use of monthly pulse surveys to identify and address local issues quickly.
Dr. Reitz, chief human resources officer, and Dr. Aaron Butler, director of student services, presented a strategic plan update to the board on school climate and working conditions for fiscal 2025.
Reitz said the division uses three main instruments: the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions, the division’s Power 10 survey and a monthly Pulse survey. He told the board the Pulse survey typically receives about 300 replies per month and “the pulse survey is anonymous,” with a free‑response box for staff to flag celebrations or concerns.
Reitz summarized staff results: top staff ratings included safety (I feel safe at my school), respect for professional roles and supportive physical environments; lower ratings included shared decision‑making and perceived effectiveness of professional development. He presented trends showing overall satisfaction increased compared with 2022–23 and noted non‑school‑based groups (for example, maintenance, transportation, IT) also showed gains in responses year over year.
Dr. Butler reviewed student climate survey results based on about 8,040 student responses across levels. He said elementary fourth‑ and fifth‑grade respondents (1,972 students) rated safety and caring environment highly; middle school (2,630 students) showed an improving trend after a midyear dip; and high school (3,438 students) reported lower overall satisfaction (4.37 on a six‑point scale) with student discipline and student behavior scoring below division averages (discipline about 3.53; behavior about 3.85). Butler said staff and principals used town halls, reinforcements and refresher sessions to respond to middle‑school concerns about discipline consistency.
Both presenters described next steps: share disaggregated results with schools, let school MTSS teams and leadership academies use the data in school improvement plans, and continue monthly Pulse cycles so issues can be addressed more quickly. Butler also identified student connection coaches and targeted professional development as supports to improve attendance and student engagement.
Board members asked for future reports to include response counts relative to the total eligible population; staff agreed to add those denominators in later reporting. No board action was taken; the presentation is informational and is intended to guide school improvement planning.
