Consultant presents community-survey findings; climate, communication and bullying top concerns

A consultant hired through NASB presented the district’s community engagement findings to the Arlington Public Schools Board, summarizing stakeholder surveys from students, parents, staff and administrators and identifying climate and culture, communication and professional development as the most commonly cited needs.

Caden Frank, the presenter, told trustees the report was an amalgamation of multiple stakeholder surveys and urged the board to “let it kinda sink in for a minute” before making decisions. The report showed a pattern across groups: concerns about student and staff well-being, requests for clearer communication, and calls for facilities planning and expanded extracurricular or CTE opportunities.

Student survey responses were a central focus during the presentation. Frank highlighted that roughly 70% of respondents said they did not experience bullying, about 20% said they experienced it sometimes, and roughly 10% reported bullying. He and staff argued those numbers warrant targeted work on school climate and social-emotional resources.

Frank recommended a strategic-overview committee composed of representative stakeholders to prioritize the coded themes and convert them into an actionable strategic framework. The consultant offered to provide an electronic copy of the full report and a board self-assessment for trustees to review.

Board members asked clarifying questions about response rates and coding methods; Frank noted parent response rates were lower than desired and suggested targeted outreach methods such as QR codes and email reminders to increase participation.

Next steps: the consultant will deliver electronic copies of the report and board self-assessment and help convene planning sessions if the board chooses to proceed.