Do people like working in the School District of Manatee County? It surveyed employees

The School District of Manatee County employs about 8,000 people. Do they feel appreciated? Would they encourage others to work for the school district? How do employees feel about the spending of tax dollars?

In a recent survey of all its employees, the school district tried to gauge Manatee’s strengths and weaknesses. The district opened its 65-question survey for one week, and nearly 2,500 people — about 31 percent of employees — responded.

A majority of people (62 percent) said they felt valued at work, and most respondents (61 percent) said they would refer someone to work for the school district. But a majority of employees (73 percent) also felt they were underpaid, and another question revealed communication problems with district staff and the general public.

When it comes to increased property taxes, approved by voters in March 2018, there was no consensus on whether the extra revenue and increased salaries were bettering student achievement or helping to recruit new teachers.

Kevin Chapman, the director of strategic planning, shared results with the Citizens’ Financial Oversight Committee on Thursday evening.

“Every organization needs to look at itself and see where it needs improvement,” he said.

Chapman started with the positives, highlighting questions about the climate in district offices and area schools. Of the nearly 2,500 people who responded, there were eight employee categories:

• Instructional staff — 43 percent.
• Prefer not to answer — 14 percent.
• Hourly, non-bargaining — 13 percent.
• Supervisory, administrative, managerial and professional — 10 percent.
• Paraprofessionals — 8 percent.
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — 7 percent.
• School administration — 4 percent.
• District administration — 1 percent.

“Do you feel like the security and safety procedures we have implemented make you feel safe at work?” one question read.

A majority of employees (68 percent) said they felt safe at work, and the remaining employees marked “no” or “needs improvement.”

When asked if supervisors valued feedback, 66 percent of employees answered “yes,” while another 18 percent answered “no.” The remaining 16 percent felt their supervisors could improve.

“Overwhelmingly, people feel appreciated,” said Doug Wagner, the deputy superintendent of business and operations. “They feel like people are listening. As a manager, that’s what I’m looking for.”

District officials then recapped areas that need improvement. When asked if Manatee was spending tax dollars efficiently, more than half of the employees (51 percent) said the district was heading in the wrong direction. Another 31 chose “right direction” and the remaining 18 percent answered “not applicable.”

“Does the district communicate well with employees?” the survey asked.

A majority of employees said Manatee’s communication was lacking. Specifically, 23 percent said the district did not communicate well with employees, and another 40 percent said there was room for improvement. The other 37 percent felt Manatees was doing well.

When it comes to reporting successes to the general public, 34 percent of employees said the district was doing a good job, while 25 percent disagreed, and 41 percent said Manatee could improve.

The section on “referendum funds” was less clear. When asked if the extra tax revenue was helping to increase student achievement, 39 percent agreed, 31 percent disagreed and the remaining 30 percent answered “not applicable.”

Did the money help to recruit and retain teachers? According to the survey, 37 percent of employees said the referendum helped with staffing, while 40 percent disagreed and 23 percent chose “not applicable.”

The survey also gauged support for Manatee’s guiding principles and the results in its classroom.

When asked if the school district was providing a quality education, 55 percent of employees said it was moving in the right direction, while 31 percent answered “wrong direction,” and the remainder chose “not applicable.”

“Our current brand motto is ‘WeManatee’ representing that We Are the School District of Manatee County and represents the belief that public education is a reflection of the community it serves, and that it takes an entire community to support our students and teachers,” the survey states.

The survey went on to ask if Manatee should continue with its current motto, and 70 percent of employees answered “yes.” The remaining 30 percent disagreed.

District officials said another survey would be sent to parents by Friday, and that both surveys would help to inform Manatee’s 2020-2022 strategic plan, which should be finalized in March.

“What’s on here is going to be addressed and we’re going to move this district forward,” Wagner said.