The Pleasant Valley School Board asked its solicitor to find independent agencies to conduct an employee survey.

“There are some underlying issues that I think we should try to make ourselves aware of,” board member Norman Burger said last week.

Burger suggested the survey be similar to an audit in order to determine the issues so that 2021-2022 school year can be successful.

Board member Dan Wunder said he would like for the board to provide input into the questions.

Superintendent Lee Lesisko asked Burger for clarification. Is he looking for an audit of the human resources office or a climate survey of the employees?

Burger said he wants to give every employee an opportunity to tell the school board all of their concerns and provide recommendations “in order to make the school district a better place so that our students get a better education.”

Burger said he knows many students did not learn as much this year due to the pandemic.

“We want to be able to put our best effort forward to try to make up for some of the losses that many of our students have incurred throughout the year,” he said.

He is hoping the results would help both in short-term planning and in long-range plans.

Lesisko said it sounded to him like Burger wants a climate survey.

An employee climate survey gauges the concerns and satisfactions of employees. A human resources audit examines the practices, policies and procedures of a human resource office to look for problem areas.

Timing

Board member Susan Kresge said she’s concerned about being able to get a survey prepared and out to the employees before the end of the school year.

Lesisko said it may be difficult to get a survey prepared in the short time by an outside agency.

“We may not be able to get it out by the end of this year,” he said. “We may be able to get that started in the fall.”

Kresge said the fall would be too late.

Lesisko said the Intermediate Unit 20 can provide input. He said Kendal Askins, assistant principal at the intermediate school, is knowledgeable about surveys. An independent firm could cost upward of $20,000.

Burger pushed for the independent firm and said he thinks “in order to get the maximum cooperation and the best possible input from all of our employees this will have to be done in a confidential way.”

School board President Donna Yozwiak suggested that employees be allowed to reply over the summer.

“The world doesn’t stop because the school district is not in session. Teachers are still available. All employees are still available, and we could ask for their cooperation to help us improve the district,” she said.

Mark Fitzgerald, the solicitor for the school district, said the school board needs to be realistic about expectations - a climate survey exploring the health and well-being of the staff or an input on educational practices.

Lesisko said they need to realize that the survey could uncover needs the district isn’t able to meet.

“Can we provide the services to the individuals, whatever that service is - x, y or z? Do we have a structure or system in place that we could help those individuals,” he said.

The board said it would determine exactly the direction of the survey after Fitzgerald talks to some companies that do this type of work.