Climate survey: staff report strong classroom commitment but low confidence in district leadership and board

An independent consultant presented results from a district climate survey conducted March–April 2026 with 1,874 respondent employees and more than 4,100 open‑ended comments. The survey found strong workplace commitment on the front lines — respondents consistently said their classroom work positively affects students — but identified weaknesses in trust and perceptions of fairness at district leadership and board levels.

Eden Ramirez, who facilitated the study, noted the unusually high response rate and a clear pattern: respondents with greater tenure tended to report lower morale, and staffwide comments often emphasized inconsistent application of policy and variable accountability between campuses and central office. Ramirez said the survey showed "strongest points near the classroom" and recommended the district celebrate top strengths while creating measurable actions for the lowest‑rated areas.

Unions and employees used public comment time to call attention to morale and grievance processes. "The results show what many employees have been feeling for some time — morale in this district is alarmingly low," said union representative Zoraya Salinas. Trustees asked administration to develop a prioritized action plan addressing the survey's bottom‑ranked items and requested a schedule for measuring progress.

Administration said it would share full survey datasets with leadership and recommended phased goals: celebrate areas of strength, choose a small number of priority areas to fix, and report progress to the board at regular intervals so staff see tangible follow‑up.