The Luxemburg-Casco School District Board on Dec. 12 heard a survey briefing from the Donovan Group that the firm said drew 602 respondents and will inform the district's strategic plan.

"We had a total of 602 respondents, which is really great," Donovan Group partner Lori Miller said, summarizing demographic data and headline themes. Miller said most responses clustered in the 7–10 satisfaction range and that respondents repeatedly praised the district's community feel, academic strength and caring staff.

The Donovan Group presentation identified three recurring concerns: a perceived gap between the district's statements and practice, wordiness or tone in existing language such as "excellence and virtue," and questions about equity and favoritism, particularly around athletics. "Some comments raise concerns that the district does not consistently uphold the values of respect and inclusion in a positive environment," Miller said.

Miller outlined the group's five-phase planning process and said the next steps include targeted focus groups and a planning work group that will draft updated mission, vision and value statements and measurable goals. She also offered to provide comparison benchmarks showing how the district performed against similar districts.

Board members asked for data that could help rebut public misconceptions about athletics spending; Donovan Group representatives said they could help develop messaging to clarify the budget picture before any potential referendum. A board member asked for a copy of the slide deck and Miller agreed to provide an electronic copy to board members.

The presentation also surfaced priorities the community chose for next five years: career and technical education and career pathways, school safety and security, and expanded mental-health services for students. Miller said those priorities, combined with interviews and focus-group feedback, will guide the planning team's recommendations.

The district's administrators framed the briefing as one data point to be combined with interviews and on-the-ground focus groups scheduled over the next two days; the board will meet in January–March work sessions to turn the engagement results into an implementation plan.

What happens next: Donovan Group will continue focus-group work, provide follow-up data and support messaging as the district's planning work group develops draft goals and strategies to present to the board.