In fall 2024, Fayetteville-Manlius School District parents, caregivers, students, staff and community members were invited to complete the district’s annual community survey. The survey prompted participants to share their feedback with district leaders on topics such as F-M’s academic rigor, leadership, student support, priority areas, and student cell phone use.
The survey received 545 responses. A complete report of the survey results is available online.
Community gives district high marks for education, mission and vision alignment
- 94.4% of survey respondents graded the quality of the education provided by F-M as either excellent, very good or good (the district’s ranking as “excellent” for its quality of education increased since the 2023-24 survey).
- When asked how well you feel your child’s school is preparing students for the next academic year, 91.6% of survey respondents gave a 1, 2 or 3 rating on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “extremely well” and 5 being “not well at all.”
- 83.7% of survey respondents believe the district provides a return-on-investment that is either excellent, very good or good (the district’s ranking as “excellent” for its return-on-investment increased since the 2023-24 survey).
- 87.3% of survey respondents believe the district’s mission statement reflects their views (a consistent finding over the last 3 years).
- 84.5% of survey respondents believe the district’s vision statement reflects their views (a consistent finding over the last 3 years).
District takes steps toward improvement
Mental health
When asked about the district’s mental health supports, 81.9% of survey respondents gave a 1, 2 or 3 rating on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “excellent” and 5 being “poor.”
The district continues to expand its mental health offerings. New for the 2024-25 school year, the school counseling team hosts monthly “Lunch & Learn” virtual series, introducing parents to local resources and agencies. The district is also in the process of establishing Mental Health Clinics, provided by Helio Health, at the middle and high schools. An on-site clinician will be available to work with referred students to address mental health needs. The district will provide space for these clinics, but clinicians will bill families’ insurance plans.
Priority areas
Survey respondents indicated they wish the district would share more information about the district’s priority area of “Positive School Environment.”
Information about the district’s priority area of “Positive School Environment” is shared via the district’s website, newsletters and social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram. These platforms are maintained by two public information specialists from Capital Region BOCES, with whom the district contracts for communication service. The board of education’s Community Relations Committee regularly meets with the public information specialists to discuss communication needs, challenges and priorities. District administrators, the committee and the public information specialists will continue to collaborate and look for new opportunities to highlight and share information about the district’s “Positive School Environment.”
Sense of belonging
When asked how much of a sense of belonging does your child feel at school, 85.9% of survey respondents gave a 1, 2 or 3 rating on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “tremendous belonging” and 5 being “no belonging at all.”
The district’s Mental Health Task Force has been tasked with reviewing the results of the community survey and the school climate and culture surveys, which were administered to students, families, and staff. The task force will use the information gathered from the surveys to develop their own questionnaires and assist in organizing student focus groups to learn more about the pressures facing today’s students and how the district is able to support them with a welcoming and affirming environment. The student focus groups are expected to assemble during the 2025-26 school year.
Cell phone policy
- 41.1% of survey respondents would be in favor of a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy in which students place their personal devices in a secured pouch that remains with them throughout the school day.
- 57.1% of survey respondents would be in favor of a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy in which students are not permitted to use their personal devices.
- 18.6% of survey respondents would be in favor of following the current building level policies.
The survey results indicated that the majority of respondents are in favor of changing the current building level policies related to cell phones. New York State’s budget proposal includes measures to implement a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban in K-12 schools, which would prohibit student cell phone use during the school day. If the state budget passes on April 1 and includes the proposed mandate, the F-M Board of Education would be required to develop a policy that aligns with state legislation. If a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban is not passed with the state budget, the F-M board will further explore developing a district policy related to student cell phone use in schools. Opportunities would be offered to students, parents and staff to provide input.
The annual community survey is one of many opportunities F-M offers to engage families and the community to chart the direction of the district; an effort that was recently recognized by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) at the National Conference on Education (NCE) in New Orleans held in March.
