School Restart Surveys

This spring, the Salt Lake City School District sent surveys to parents, students, and teachers asking about their experiences with remote learning and asking for feedback to help us make plans for returning to school in August. Parents received a second survey in May to help us make decisions for reopening schools next year. The feedback we received from these surveys has been instrumental in helping us make our plans for the 2020-21 school year.

Here are some of the significant findings from the surveys:

• Parents recognized that in the spring, the district, schools, and teachers worked quickly to support students as we transitioned to remote learning. 
• Students and parents told us that for next year, they want more interaction between students and teachers and more interaction between students and their peers. 
• Teachers told us they felt frustrated with not being able to connect with all of their students.
• Less than half of all parents (48%) across all grade levels told us they felt “very comfortable” or “comfortable” having their child return to a normal school schedule in the fall if Salt Lake City was in a Green (“New Normal”) risk phase.

• We also asked parents how comfortable they felt sending their kids to school if Salt Lake City is in the Yellow (“Low Risk”) phase. Only 35% of all parents said they felt either “very comfortable” or “comfortable” having their child return to a normal school schedule in August.

• We asked parents if they would prefer an alternative schedule where students came to school in person on alternating days or weeks, or if they would prefer a full-time return to remote learning. Parents overwhelmingly responded that they would prefer an alternative schedule instead of a return to remote learning. 

Parents told us these are the most important factors to consider when planning to send their students back to school in person:

1. Enhanced cleaning in all schools, buildings, buses, and playgrounds.
2. Hand sanitizer stations throughout the school and frequent hand-washing scheduled into the regular school day.
3. Limiting classroom seating to maintain social distancing.
4. Staggering recess and lunchtimes to reduce crowding.