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Onalaska student and family surveys show positive trends but flag mental-health and representation gaps
Summary
District survey results presented June 8 found life-at-school scores edged up (3.8 to 3.9), district scorecard metrics exceeded targets, and families identified mental-health concerns, academic difficulties and attendance as top issues; non-English-speaking families remain underrepresented among respondents.
District staff presented results of student and family surveys at the Onalaska School District Board of Education meeting on June 8, reporting generally positive measures of school climate alongside persistent areas for attention.
Jen summarized student exit surveys for fifth, eighth and 12th grades: participation reached or exceeded 50% at most schools, and the life-at-school metric trended upward from 3.8 to 3.9 (on the district's internal scale). Jen said the district reached a 44% application rate for scholarships among the class of 2026 (102 applicants) and highlighted that 247 names were called on scholarship night, including industry certifications such as certified nursing assistant and EMT among student achievements.
The student listening sessions reinforced the quantitative results: students cited trusted adults, peer relationships and visible safety measures as reasons they feel safe. Jen and principals noted distracting behaviors, test anxiety and balancing homework with co-curricular activities as recurring concerns and described several 'low-hanging fruit' improvements principals plan to make, such as playground adjustments.
Gloria presented family survey results: 449 families responded this year, a rate similar to last year. Families most often reported mental-health concerns, academic difficulties and attendance as areas of difficulty. Gloria noted that minority and non-English-speaking families were underrepresented among respondents; staff said the district offers interpreter support for Spanish and ad-hoc help for other language communities but that some languages are not available in survey translations.
Administrators reported the district scorecard measures: the high-leverage 'recommend my child's school' metric averaged 3.57 out of 4 and the overall family experience aggregated to 3.4 out of 4, both modest improvements. Board members asked about cohort comparisons, sampling limitations and next steps; staff said cohort tracking (following groups from fifth to eighth grade and up to 12th grade) helps address year-to-year comparability and that principals will follow up on family-reported needs when contact information was provided on the survey.
Board members and staff framed the findings as largely positive while noting ongoing efforts to increase representation of non-English-speaking families and to address student behavior and mental-health needs.
