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Burlington school committee hears broad public outrage over controversial student survey; district orders review
Summary
Parents, students and teachers pressed Burlington Public Schools on an opt-out lapse and explicit questions in a youth risk survey. The district said it has engaged an outside evaluator, ceased contracting with the longtime vendor and will not resume large-scale student surveys until policy changes are adopted.
Public comment at the Burlington Public Schools School Committee meeting on May 1 drew sustained testimony from parents, students and teachers about the administration and content of a recent youth risk survey, prompting the superintendent to say he had hired an independent evaluator and that the district had ended its contract with the survey vendor.
School Committee Chair read a statement from the school council saying the district "is no longer contracting with JSI" and that a review of the 2025 survey administration is underway. Superintendent Dr. Conte told the committee he had engaged an outside evaluator, Jeff Sankey, "who is a former military trial judge," and that Sankeys report was expected the following week.
The meeting record shows strong public anger about both the content of the survey and how it was administered.…
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