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Carson City reports strong survey participation; staff report high engagement while middle/high emotional safety lags
Summary
Fall 2025 staff and student climate surveys showed strong participation (about 537 staff; ~3,700 students, >80% participation). Staff emotional safety neared 'excellent'; student emotional safety at middle and high school levels remained in the 'needs improvement' band, while physical safety scores improved at some levels.
Brandon Ringhurst briefed the board on the district’s state-administered staff and student climate surveys for fall 2025, highlighting high participation and mixed results across the domains of engagement and safety.
"We had 537 members that completed the staff survey this time around," Ringhurst said, and he reported that for staff the emotional-safety score averaged 375 — one point below the state’s 'excellent' threshold.
Ringhurst said the district also had a strong student response: "We had a little over 3,700 students take this survey," he said, noting that equates to "a little bit more than 80% of our students" in grades 5–12. The student survey measures social and emotional competence as well as physical and emotional safety.
On the student side, Ringhurst reported gains in several areas, including a notable rise in elementary physical safety (an increase to a 4.14 score on the state scale) and districtwide gains in social and emotional competence. But he cautioned that emotional-safety scores at the middle- and high-school level fell into the state’s 'needs improvement' category and will require ongoing attention.
Trustees asked about the survey design and use. Ringhurst said the state administers the standard climate survey (same questions statewide), and schools receive disaggregated results to analyze and act upon. He said staff and principals use school-by-school breakdowns in professional learning communities to identify targeted improvements.
Board members also raised the question of whether the state ties funding to survey results; Ringhurst and Superintendent AJ Fuelling said the state provides trainings and protocols, but they did not describe direct state funding tied to moving a district from 'needs improvement' to 'adequate.' Fuelling and Ringhurst suggested local interventions, MTSS work and targeted school leadership practices are primary levers for change.
Ringhurst and staff said the district will return to the board with further parent-engagement data and school-level follow-up once the state posts all student results publicly.
