Community Feedback on Lakota’s Master Facilities Plan: Key Themes and Insights

On December 3, Lakota Local Schools began hosting focus groups and open feedback sessions to gather input on the District’s Master Facilities Plan (MFP). The MFP is Lakota’s long-term strategy for school buildings and spaces. Along with the feedback sessions, an online survey was open to the community.

District leaders will use the feedback to learn:

• Are the goals of the previous plan still important to the community;
• Are there new goals that should be added; and
• What concerns does the community have about the plan, besides cost.  

The District wanted to gather feedback from the community after voters did not approve Lakota’s November ballot issue that would have funded the MFP. In addition to community sessions and the online survey, focus groups included staff, parents, Lakota’s District Parent and Presidents councils, elected officials, the business community and members of the Republican and Democratic parties in West Chester and Liberty townships. About 160 people attended the 12 in-person sessions, and more than 1,000 shared over 750 thoughts in the ThoughtExchange.

Top Themes Across Feedback

Smaller Class Sizes

Smaller class size was the most common request. People believe smaller classes will help students learn better and make teaching easier. Large class sizes are believed to hurt learning and cause discipline problems.

Safety and Security 

Safety and security—including building health—were also common concerns. Many people said repairs are needed, including improving things like air quality. They also want the buildings to be updated for safety.

Transparency, Trust and Community Engagement

People want clear, easy-to-understand communication and open decision making. They want to better understand the condition of buildings and ways to be engaged, especially about decisions to renovate current schools or build new ones. This would help to build trust with the community. 

Fewer Building Transitions (Grade Bands)

Families would like their students to change schools less often. Learning and friendships can be disrupted when students move to different schools. While Lakota is not a walking community, people want to keep the “neighborhood school” feel and avoid long bus rides.

Additional Themes

Flexible, Dedicated Learning Spaces

People want specials, like art and music, to have their own classrooms and for them to be consistent and held year round. They also want students to take more types of electives sooner. They want similar learning spaces and opportunities across all schools.

Transportation

Transportation was mentioned often. People are concerned about long bus rides if schools are combined or locations changed. They also want safer traffic flow in the high school parking lots.

Opportunities for Growth

Clear Plans & Communication

People want to know details about the plan. They want to see drawings, timelines and data that shows how changes like smaller classes and fewer school transitions will happen. They also want to know how their tax dollars will help students succeed in school.

Maintenance & Upkeep

Regular updates about building conditions and maintenance plans were requested. Some people are unsure if past maintenance at buildings was done well. Facility tours or videos were requested. (Video tours of some of Lakota’s facilities can be found on the District’s YouTube channel.)

Financial Concerns and Operational Savings

Many people in the community are concerned about higher property taxes. They want cost-effective solutions and clear information about savings the District would have through an MFP, state funding options and whether the MFP can be done in phases instead of all at once. 

Next Steps

The Board and district leaders started reviewing feedback at its Jan. 12 meeting. As Superintendent Whitely shared during the in-person sessions, the same plan from November will not be used again. More school board meetings about the MFP are scheduled for Jan. 14 and Jan. 20, and the facilities committee is scheduled to meet on Jan. 27. All meeting dates can be found on the district calendar.