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Parents group presents community-conversation report to Pitt County Board
Summary
Parents Republic Schools (Parents for Public Schools) presented a report summarizing 58 community conversations and input from 2,132 participants, and recommended increased transparency, communication and parent engagement to help district planning.
Joshua Bridal, executive director of Parents Republic Schools, presented the group’s annual community-conversation report to the Pitt County Board of Education on Dec. 2, summarizing what residents, families and stakeholders told the organization about district strengths, concerns and priorities.
Bridal said the group’s program uses in-person conversations and Google Forms to gather views; since 2013 the organization has conducted 58 community conversations and reported that 2,132 unique people have participated across the years. The report asked six core questions this year, including what community members view as Pitt County Schools’ most pressing needs, how the district communicates with families, and how the district should involve parents when planning for projected growth.
The report’s recurring themes, as summarized in the presentation, included requests for more transparent district communication, continued investment in teacher support and retention, attention to facility and resource management, and expanded mental-health supports for students. Participants also identified front office staff training and more accessible, varied communication channels (email, phone, text and social media) as ways to make school buildings more welcoming. The presenters recommended early engagement, regular town halls and online feedback platforms to involve parents during major district changes.
Joshua Bridal said the report includes detailed appendices that reproduce community members’ comments verbatim so readers can see the full range of responses. He told the board that the conversations provide a “bridge of communication” between the public and district decision-makers and that the report is intended as a resource to inform district planning.
Ending — Board members thanked the presenters and asked questions about advocacy and recruitment. The presentation will be added to district materials for future planning and community outreach.
