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Richland 2 budget survey shows teachers prioritize pay and parents prioritize safety, district says
Summary
The district's senior chief financial officer presented FY26 budget-survey results showing employees prioritized competitive pay and academic interventions; parents and students ranked safety and security highest. Response rates varied by group and the district plans further stakeholder outreach before the April budget workshop.
At the Feb. 11 meeting the Richland 2 Board of Trustees received a briefing on the FY26 budget survey results from the district's senior chief financial officer, Miss Williams.
Williams said the employee survey had a 28.5% response rate, with classroom teachers making up the largest share of respondents (43%). Employees rated "competitive salaries, benefits and bonuses" as the top priority for inclusion in the FY26 budget, followed by academic intervention for lower-achieving students and safety and security. Open-ended responses from employees repeatedly cited the need for more behavioral supports, better compensation, classroom resources and time for instruction and planning.
Parent responses — roughly a 6% response rate — ranked safety and security highest, followed by competitive teacher pay, student behavior supports, student support services (counselors and social workers), and academic interventions. Parents frequently requested tutoring, early intervention and stronger behavioral supports for students.
A student survey (roughly a 2.5% response rate) also placed safety and security at the top, followed by student support services and behavioral supports; students additionally asked for cleaner restrooms, better food and headphones for in-class use.
Williams said the district will continue stakeholder outreach through March and will provide the board a binder of survey responses before the April 10 budget workshop. Board members discussed response-rate concerns and asked staff to consider additional outreach strategies, targeted principal surveys and a spring follow-up to improve participation and capture more representative input.
"We sent it out actually in November," Williams said, acknowledging that the district could improve marketing and timing to raise response rates.
Several board members urged a separate principals-focused survey about HR interactions, facilities service requests and relationships with safety and security staff; staff agreed to follow up and include stakeholder-group meetings in the budget calendar.
