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The Board of Education got just the information it needed from a recent community survey to write a new vision and mission statement and make some long term plans for the District's future. The survey results were presented to the Board of Education Wednesday (July 13) by the St. Louis based consulting firm UNICOM-ARC. The Board hired UNICOM-ARC to conduct the random sample survey of 500 residents following a series of focus group meetings with more than 2000 residents representing parents, teachers, retirees, business leaders, elected officials, and neighborhoods. Information from the focus groups formed the basis of the survey questions. The Board started the process last year when it drafted its goals for the year. The Board adopted a goal to create a new vision and mission statement and another one identifying the need to develop a long-term financial plan. Before implementing either of these goals, however, the Board said it must first hear from the community regarding the types of programs and services residents value in their public schools. Sharon Gotter, Project Manager at UNICOM-ARC, told the Board that most residents value the current programs and services, noting that more than 80 percent of the respondents consider District 200 one of the best districts in Chicago's collar counties. They cited excellent teacher, high academic standards and a safe learning environment as indicators of that success. The respondents were reluctant to support program reductions in most areas, with more than 70 percent indicating that extra curricular programs, athletics and class sizes should be maintained at current levels. To maintain and improve the quality of education in District 200, nearly three out of four survey respondents said they would be willing to increase taxes as long as the district continues to be operated efficiently, although on a separate question slightly more than half of the respondents indicated that they could not afford higher taxes regardless of the cause. "We believe the survey results and data from the focus groups give us the information we need to complete our goals. We thank those residents who participated in the activities and pledge to the entire community that we will continue to provide the highest academic standards for our students," Superintendent Gary T. Catalani said Wednesday. The Board will begin development of the new vision and mission statement in August. It will begin developing a long-term financial plan this fall. The entire survey and results are posted below.
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