Results of Sacajawea's Thought Exchange Survey Regarding Proposed Closure

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After the SPS/Sacajawea community meeting on November 7th, SPS officials asked our community to provide feedback via a ThoughtExchange survey. This tool allowed our parents to offer unlimited short questions or thoughts (300 characters or less). The survey was only open for about 24 hours and then was closed. You can visit the results page for the survey on the Thought Exchange site.

Our PTA team pulled the data from this survey–which was available after completing the survey–and found six main themes in the data.

The themes are:

  • Transparency and Trust in Decision-Making and Budget/Cost Estimates

  • Concerns Over Resource Allocation and Staffing at the Merged School

  • Equity and Support for High-Needs Populations (SPED, ELL)

  • Concerns Over Transportation and Safety

  • Concerns About Student Well-being and Social-Emotional Stability

  • Impact on Community and Neighborhood Cohesion

In the remainder of this post, we’ll summarize the concerns for each theme and provide examples of thoughts from each theme.

Transparency and Trust in Decision-Making and Budget/Cost Estimates

Summary of Key Concerns

Parents feel the district has not provided sufficient transparency around the financial justification for closing the school. They question the accuracy and completeness of information, leading to a lack of trust in the process.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "It’s strange that you are presenting this as a cost-saving measure but then not showing the actual data of cost savings. It makes us distrust your process."

  • "We deserve an accurate representation of the budget savings through school consolidation. How can we be on board with a program if we don’t have all the information?"

  • "Your effort for transparency and call for public input seems fake. The families and community that this closure affects should have their concerns taken seriously."

  • "Why doesn’t SPS at least operate on a minimum of two-year planning window for closures and rezoning? This would avoid the time crunch of trying to make closure decisions by January for the upcoming year and would give everyone sufficient time to plan."

  • "It feels to us that the district has no actual plan or solid reasoning for school closure. We have seen no evidence of cost savings, higher access to Specialized programs, or more effective community building."

  • "The district needs to be transparent in the reasons for closing a school and why these schools were chosen. We will not be better resourced nor save much money next year. Criteria such as 'not an option school' needs to be public."

  • "Why were/are we limited to questions only in the community forum? Do the thoughts and feelings of the impacted community not matter?"

Concerns Over Resource Allocation and Staffing at the Merged School

Summary of Key Concerns

Families are skeptical that the merged school will have adequate resources and staffing to support the combined student body. They question how resources will be allocated, especially for special education, and worry that merging schools may actually reduce access to services.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "How will class sizes be maintained if the merged schools do not see corresponding increase in staff? Small class sizes are important to teachers' ability to meet each student where they are."

  • "You’re all about 'well-resourced schools,' but how does the staffing allocation for a combined school achieve this? There is LESS resources."

  • "What additional services and supports will be provided to support the larger number of students that have IEPs at the consolidated school? Both schools have a significant SPED population as well as GenEd students with IEPs, but John Roger’s does not currently have fully supported SPED."

  • "How will after school care like the services offered by boys and girls club be addressed at John Rogers? Boys and girls club offer critical care for families that is high quality and affordable."

  • "What will be done to make certain that administration is adequately able to handle this influx of high needs students? Our SpEd programs are already at max capacity- we’re planning to now cram them together with less administrative power per case."

  • "What are expectations for enrollment increases for the new John Rogers building from newly returning students and students from nearby schools? New buildings often bring students back into the public system."

  • "Will Sac's playgrounds remain unlocked for public use? What happens when there is vandalism? Homeless populations using the sheltered outdoor spaces?"

Equity and Support for High-Needs Populations (SPED, ELL)

Summary of Key Concerns

Parents are concerned that consolidating schools with high special education (SPED) and English Language Learner (ELL) populations without additional resources will strain support services. They worry about equitable treatment and that these vulnerable groups will suffer.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "Is it a good idea to combine two schools that have the highest sped needs and the highest ELL needs into one? SPS has a hard enough time meeting the needs of one of these populations in a school. Having to support both is setting the students up for failure."

  • "How is combining two high needs populations equitable? How does this compare to other schools in the district in terms of distinct and ELL populations? Putting all these high needs students in one building without actually increasing resources is questionable at best and negligent at worst."

  • "Our SpEd programs are already at max capacity—we’re planning to now cram them together with less administrative power per case."

  • "What additional services and supports will be provided to support the larger number of students that have IEPs at the consolidated school? Both schools have a significant SPED population as well as GenEd students with IEPs, but John Roger’s does not currently have fully supported SPED."

  • "Does SPS consider special ed metrics in its diversity considerations or closure decisions?"

  • "How will the school district ensure additional services like speech counseling and therapy be provided with such a big population of students? Kids need these resources and it can be harder to provide the bigger the school."

  • "3 Title 1 schools & the two highest k-5 Sp Ed populations are targeted in this plan. Why is SPS targeting their most vulnerable students for harm? Science has shown us that students whose schools close fall TWO YEARS behind their peers."

Concerns Over Transportation and Safety

Summary of Key Concerns

Parents worry about the logistics and costs of transporting students to a non-walkable school, especially given existing issues with the district’s bus service. Safety concerns are also raised, particularly for students who would need to travel longer distances or cross unsafe routes.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "How cost-effective is it to bus every single child to school, as it is completely unwalkable for us. Kids need to get to school, and the new school is farther away. How is this saving money?"

  • "Transportation costs will significantly increase. This is all supposed to help the budget crisis, but transportation is one of the most expensive costs."

  • "Why would SPS force all Sacajawea students to walk 2 miles across unsafe lake city way or take a bus to Rogers? John Rogers isn't the closest school to Sacajawea and isn't overlapping with the Sacajawea walk zone at all."

  • "All of Sac will require bus transportation. There will be no walk zone. With unreliable busses and high costs, this neither helps students nor costs."

  • "What are the projected expenses for IEP bus services for the 30% of Sacajawea students currently receiving IEP educations? I assume you’re aware that they receive expensive door to door bus service?"

  • "With transportation as the 2nd highest cost in the SPS budget, how does having to bus an entire school to a new school cut costs for the district? There will be no walk zone."

  • "Does SPS consider student safety? John Rogers isn't the closest school to Sacajawea and isn't overlapping with the Sacajawea walk zone at all."

Concerns About Student Well-being and Social-Emotional Stability

Summary of Key Concerns

Many parents are worried about the potential impact on students’ social-emotional health due to the upheaval caused by relocating to a different school. They stress that stability is crucial, especially in the wake of the disruptions from the pandemic.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "Having kids move schools next year and then again in a year or two is significantly impacting their social/emotional well-being. We need a real plan."

  • "Healthy early childhood development depends on consistency and providing safe and reliable resources."

  • "How would you suggest we talk to our kids about this uncertainty? Our school is a safe place for our kids. We need help with how to have this conversation."

  • "Science has shown us that students whose schools close fall TWO YEARS behind their peers. Kids haven’t caught up from Covid yet. This is unjust."

  • "Our school is a safe place for our kids. We need help with how to have this conversation. Doesn't seem like SPS is thinking about the impact NOW."

  • "The meeting felt disingenuous. I feel like you were there to placate us. An old building is just an easy way to shut us down. Rebuild us as promised."

  • "As a community we have little capacity to weather multiple and varied proposals in quick succession surrounding school closures and consolidation. SPS writes they need to earn our trust back. How will SPS actionably earn back our trust instead of alienating the very people it serves?"

Impact on Community and Neighborhood Cohesion

Summary of Key Concerns

Families value the community and neighborhood ties fostered by their small, walkable school. They are concerned that consolidating schools will disrupt these connections, making it harder to maintain the sense of community and reducing family engagement opportunities.

Verbatim Thoughts

  • "We value living in the walk zone. We frequently stay after school with other families to let our kids play on the playground and in the woods. With the combined schools, we will no longer be in the walk zone, so these daily community interactions will be lost."

  • "Sacajawea's smaller size is a positive. Everyone knows each other, which forms lasting bonds and a better learning environment. Students that don't shine fade away in larger schools. In our smaller school everyone is allowed to shine and be heard."

  • "I'm concerned about the effect the closure will have on our neighborhood, especially for families who live close to Sacajawea. Kids won’t get to walk to school."

  • "The community of Sacajawea is not being honored in receiving information in advance of whole district announcements. Finding out that your school is closing by an impersonal email feels like there is no care for us and no way to work together w/ the district."

  • "All other choice schools have a nearby complimentary neighborhood school- that's the only way the choice system works."

  • "If the closures were related to the budget challenges, why wouldn't SPS wait until the outcome of the upcoming legislative session in April? Could create an actual long term plan once the budget realities were better understood."

  • "Families won’t get to meet up on the sidewalks or have impromptu encounters on the way to/from school."