At the Noblesville Schools Board of Trustees meeting Aug. 20, Noblesville Schools Superintendent Dan Hile shared results from a community survey that was conducted in May.
“We really wanted to check in with our community to get some input on a variety of topics that have been on our minds,” Hile said. “The data was collected with the intent that it will be used to inform our district strategic planning. We sent it out not just to the community, but for the first time we asked students to give some input into this survey.”
Marnie Cooke, executive director of marketing and communications, said the survey had more than 3,000 adult respondents, including district parents, employees and Noblesville residents. Approximately 2,600 middle and high school students also provided feedback.
On the role of educating students “for the world of tomorrow,” Cooke said 94 percent of respondents said the district was meeting or exceeding their expectations – up from 86 percent in 2022.
Other survey highlights included:
- Academic achievement, safety and community partnerships were cited as strengths for Noblesville Schools.
- Real-world learning and quality educators were noted as most important for student academic success, with standardized test scores rated as least important.
- Respondents indicated that the district’s main improvement area was attracting and retaining high-quality educators.
- A quarter of adult respondents aged 55 and older expressed concern about the district’s money management.
Student respondents reflected on how well teachers and staff teach, how safe they felt at school and if they felt they belong or have a sense of community. Students also cited
real-world learning as one of the most important parts of their education.
“There were three big things that resonated with me,” Hile said. “Overall, our community told us they are pleased with the work we are doing at Noblesville Schools. It does appear that some of our older community members that don’t have students in the schools do have some concerns or maybe misunderstandings about school finances. And our community really prioritizes real-world learning, internships and career development over standardized test scores.”
Hile said the school’s strategic plan will be shared with the community in late October.
As a continuation of the survey process, the district will hold a listening session later this month. It will give participants an opportunity to share more comprehensive feedback on topics related to the district’s strategic planning.
The session will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 29 at 1779 Field Dr. in Noblesville. Participants will be placed in small groups and asked to share their thoughts on specific questions. Noblesville Schools leaders will listen to discussions and take notes to help guide future planning.
RSVP for the listening session at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScP3f2Vm2xzIVSHYQ3Hd6EcQOeinl7XxSqQe3BAoBPX2Jr8QQ/viewform.
