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District climate and culture survey shows gains overall; staff report concerns about speaking up and consequences
Summary
District staff responses to the district’s climate and culture survey held steady or rose in most areas compared with last year, the presenter told the board, while three areas — student voice in decision making, staff fear of consequences for mistakes, and discomfort discussing problems — emerged as priorities for local follow-up.
Miss Scofield, presenting the Geary County Schools climate and culture survey results on Jan. 13, 2025, told the board that the district used the same 49-question instrument as last year and received 617 responses across certified and classified staff.
"This year, we got 617 responses ... with 234 coming from classified and 383 coming from certified," Scofield said, and she added the district saw 86 fewer responses than the prior year. The survey window ran from Oct. 21 to Nov. 4. Respondents were anonymous; the district only captured the respondents’ building, not names.
Scofield told the board most questions either held steady or improved compared with last year. She said the district recorded a notable set of strengths — items where at least 70% of staff agreed or strongly agreed — including belief that "all students can learn," stronger districtwide communication about vision and strategy, and expanded staff involvement in district-level teams and building leadership teams.
However, Scofield highlighted three questions that fell into an area flagged for improvement (about 50% agreement): improving student voice in decision making; staff perception that they cannot make mistakes without consequences; and staff discomfort about discussing problems and disagreements. She said building administrators have received building-level results and were expected to review the data with building leadership teams, identify local drivers of the concerns and develop action plans.
Board members discussed climate versus culture and whether some survey items more directly measure workplace climate (day-to-day feeling of safety, willingness to speak up) than broader organizational culture. One board member noted that the survey results suggesting staff feel constrained about making mistakes merit careful follow-up and that leaders should consider whether reported concerns are widespread or isolated to particular buildings.
Scofield described next steps: administrators and building leadership teams will analyze building-level responses, celebrate successes in areas that improved, continue expansion of professional learning communities (PLCs) and PLC ownership at the building level, and work on ensuring classified staff know their roles and impacts. The board was told administrators will share the full results and comment responses with board members.
The presenter emphasized the district views the survey as a growth measure tied to the strategic plan, with the goal of using findings to improve student outcomes and staff retention.
