Board asks staff to develop optional exit questionnaire for students who leave for charter schools

Board members asked whether the district asks families why they leave Cabell County Schools for charter schools and what, if anything, the district does with that information.

“ The only time that we would have communication with parents that enroll in a charter school, would be if there's something occurred with the school prior to them doing that. Other than that, we just get an enrollment request from that school, and by law, we have to drop them,” said Mister Mann, a district staff member who responded to the board’s question.

Mann told the board he and staff have had informal conversations with parents who left but that the district does not currently use a formal exit survey. Board members asked whether the district could offer an optional questionnaire to families who request enrollment in a charter program. Mann said staff would work with the registrar’s office to make an optional, voluntary survey available and to track responses while making clear participation is optional and cannot be a condition for enrollment.

No formal policy change or vote occurred at the May 5 work session; staff said they would coordinate on an optional survey and bring information back to the board if requested.