Published: May 09, 2008 11:39 am            

School district asks residents for opinions

This is your chance to sound off about the Stillwater Public Schools.

The district is asking residents — not just students and parents — to complete two online surveys at www.spsassessment.com. For those who prefer, paper surveys are available at all schools and the Board of Education Building, 314 S. Lewis.

The identity survey focuses on graphic identity elements, such as logos. The communications survey focuses on how well the district shares information with the community.

Superintendent Ann Caine, who began full-time work Monday, said the goal of the surveys is to improve the district’s message.

“How can we communicate?” Caine said. “What do we do well as far as communication, what can we do better, and coming up with one brand for our district.”

Mike O’Neill, of O’Neill Marketing Communications in Stillwater, is leading the survey. He has been contracted by the district to assess its communications practices. Erickson Design and Interworks Inc., also Stillwater firms, are assisting with the surveys.

“We know some traditional tools, like Thursday folders, letters to parents, those sorts of communications, work pretty well,” O’Neill said. “We’re also hoping to find what doesn’t work so well.”

Completing both surveys takes about 10 minutes. O’Neill said the first notice of the surveys was released May 2 and by Sunday he had 70 responses.

A third survey focusing on the district’s Web site (www.stillwater.k12.ok.us) will be available this summer.

“I would love to see the Web site be a tool that our patrons and the community go to for every piece of information they need to know,” Caine said. “We can make it better, a lot easier to navigate.”

Surveys must be completed by the end of the school year — May 23.

        

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