School superintendent turns to public for insights

Published 11:38 am Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Sequim School officials are listening to learn.

Six weeks following the fourth failed attempt to pass a school construction bond, Superintendent Gary Neal is reaching out to the community for insight on future planning strategies necessary to meet the district’s needs and capital improvements.

As one approach to garner guidance the district hosted four community listening events between March 22-26.

The events were an “opportunity to take information and filter that input,” Neal said.

During the events Neal answered few questions and didn’t dispute or address the past bond campaigns. Instead, he listened.

“My function is to take notes and I want people to share their thoughts and opinions,” he said. “I just need to get a new start here.”

The first community listening event was attended by six people, but attendance of the following event jumped to 29, Patsene Dashiell, Sequim School District communications director, said. The third event had 20 and the last was attended by 12.

“This was meant to be an exercise in listening for us here at the district,” Dashiell said. “I have learned some things from the listening exercise and there are definitely some common themes that have emerged.”

Reoccurring areas of input mainly focused on individual feelings or identified problems about the bond campaign. Some common themes included a want for more communication and engagement between the district and community and a reprioritization of the projects listed under the past bond propositions.

“Few people have suggested possible solutions to the needs,” Dashiell said. “That’s what we need to get to.”

Despite Dashiell’s and her colleagues’ ongoing effort to effectively communicate through the local newspapers, radio stations, district Facebook and Twitter sites, mail and e-mail reports, organized district events and posted fliers around town, they’re still not reaching everyone.

“Somehow we are missing out on engagement with many in the community and we want to know how we can do a better job of reaching people,” she said.

During multiple listening events, Sequim resident Ken Stringer floated the idea of a “citizen advisory task force.” The task force would strictly seek engagement with the whole community and by doing so advise the district’s Board of Directors.

“I think a task force is an interesting way to go,” Neal said.

All remarks, both written and oral, gleaned from community members during the listening events are being categorized, Dashiell said. District officials started categorizing remarks following February’s bond election because many people began e-mailing, calling and visiting the district with thoughts.

“We plan to make the tabulated information available to the public on our website, hopefully over spring break April 4-8,” she said.

District officials have yet to establish a timeline as to when they plan to have a recommendation to the Board of Directors, however Neal did say, “We’re not going to do the same thing over and over. It’s too expensive and there’s a bit of arrogance to it.”

Contact Dashiell at 582-3264 or mdashiell@sequim.k12.wa.us with questions or an interest in attending a monthly coffee chat with Neal.

Visit www.sequim.k12.wa.us for more district information.

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.

Editor’s note: Patsene Dashiell, Sequim School District communications director, is the spouse of Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell. — MD