Student-success committee presents survey findings, urges less device dependence and more life-skills training

The Coos Bay SD 9 student-success committee presented results from a districtwide climate and student-voice survey to the school board on May 11, saying the data show students largely feel safe and respected but report gaps in preparation for life after graduation.

David, a committee representative, told the board that 991 students (grades 3–12) responded to the survey and that 90.1% of respondents said they feel respected by staff while 86.5% reported feeling safe at school. "We saw a readiness gap of about 25.2% — students that don't feel prepared for life after graduation," David said, summarizing the committee's top finding. The data also showed students self-reported spending an average of 52% of the school day on Chromebooks, a figure the committee described as a prompt for rethinking one-to-one device practices.

The committee recommended a set of practical steps aimed at addressing the identified gaps. Those recommendations included piloting a biannual life-skills fair with community-led stations on topics such as changing a tire, basic cooking and taxes; expanding career job-shadow opportunities so students can sample multiple fields; and moving toward more cart-based Chromebook use with check-out options for students who need devices regularly.

Kate, a committee member and district staff member, explained the device proposal: instead of issuing a Chromebook to every student for all-day use, staff could rotate Chromebook carts into classrooms when needed and allow semester checkouts for students taking advanced courses that require persistent access. "If a class needs Chromebooks for a specific assignment, bring the cart in; otherwise teach without the device," Kate said. She added that the district plans to work through logistics, particularly at the high school level, where some students require long-term access for coursework.

The committee also highlighted student mental-health and social-emotional themes. One survey item found 73.9% of respondents reported they would feel less safe or more anxious without phone access; the committee described this as an indicator of "cell-phone anxiety" that could be addressed through education and family engagement. The presentation recommended curriculum and parent outreach on screen time and digital wellbeing, and proposed a pilot of a ‘‘survival’’ or real-world-skills curriculum tied to graduation requirements.

Board members pressed for clarity on which findings were straight survey results and which were committee suggestions. The committee clarified that the statistics presented came directly from survey responses, while the list of proposed programs and pilot ideas represented the committee’s recommendations for how to respond. The superintendent said some elements — notably financial literacy coursework — are tied to an upcoming state graduation requirement and that the district has received a one-year waiver before full implementation.

Next steps: the committee will share detailed survey data and anonymized results with board members and plans to return with proposals for pilots and implementation timelines. Board members asked that the committee provide the survey instrument and raw counts by subgroup so the board can track next-year progress against specific measures.