DISTRICT UNITY SURVEY: WHAT WE LEARNED
One of Lewis and Clark School District's strategic goals this year is to strengthen the relationship between Berthold School and North Shore Plaza School.
To help us understand where we stand, we recently invited students, parents, staff, and community members to share their perceptions of our two schools and our shared identity as the Lewis and Clark Longhorns.
Thank you to the 343 people who completed the survey! This included 188 students, 105 parents, 43 staff members, and 7 community members.
The results provide some encouraging news, along with areas where we have work to do.
📊 OVERALL RESULTS
✅ 71% feel connected to Lewis and Clark School District as a whole.
✅ 68% are proud of our shared identity as the Lewis and Clark Longhorns.
✅ 66% believe students, staff, and families from our two schools treat one another with respect.
✅ 65% believe both schools benefit from their relationship.
✅ 60% believe our two schools are becoming more unified.
HOW DID STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND STAFF RESPOND?
The following percentages represent respondents who selected Agree or Strongly Agree.
🎓 STUDENTS (188 RESPONSES)
74% feel connected to the district.
74% believe people from both schools treat one another with respect.
68% believe both schools are equally valued and respected.
71% are proud of the Longhorn identity.
65% believe both schools benefit from their relationship.
63% believe our schools are becoming more unified.
👨👩👧👦 PARENTS (105 RESPONSES)
60% feel connected to the district.
54% believe people from both schools treat one another with respect.
43% believe both schools are equally valued and respected.
55% are proud of the Longhorn identity.
60% believe both schools benefit from their relationship.
47% believe our schools are becoming more unified.
🍎 STAFF (43 RESPONSES)
86% feel connected to the district.
67% believe people from both schools treat one another with respect.
74% believe both schools are equally valued and respected.
91% are proud of the Longhorn identity.
84% believe both schools benefit from their relationship.
88% believe our schools are becoming more unified.
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
Our students have a strong foundation for unity. Nearly three-fourths believe people from the two schools treat one another respectfully. Students from Berthold and North Shore Plaza expressed remarkably similar views about mutual respect, equal treatment, and Longhorn pride.
Our staff are optimistic about the direction we're heading. More than 90% express pride in our shared Longhorn identity, and nearly 90% believe the schools are becoming more unified.
Parents see more room for improvement. While 60% believe both schools benefit from their relationship, only 43% believe both schools are equally valued and respected. This is an area where we need to build greater confidence.
Connections between our schools matter. Among the 19 respondents who identified with both schools, nearly 90% believe both schools benefit from their relationship. Although this is a small group, the results are encouraging.
Many people are still uncertain about our progress. Approximately 29% of all respondents were unsure whether our schools are becoming more unified, compared with 11% who disagreed.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Our goal isn't to make Berthold School and North Shore Plaza School identical. Both schools have their own traditions, identities, and strengths. We want to build a relationship in which students, staff, and families from both communities feel respected, valued, and confident that both schools benefit.
These survey results give us a starting point. Our next step is to use this baseline data to establish a clear, measurable district unity goal. From there, we will develop specific strategies and actions to help us achieve that goal.
We recognize that perceptions don't change simply because we ask people to think differently. They change through our actions, decisions, and experiences. Our focus will be on taking meaningful steps that strengthen the relationship between our two schools.
We will administer the survey again later in the school year to measure our progress and determine whether our efforts are making a difference.
Thank you again to everyone who participated. Your feedback will help guide our work as we strive to make Lewis and Clark School District stronger for everyone.