All residents are being asked to complete an online survey, which asks a variety of questions with a section devoted to respondents who indicate their child/children attend charter school
The Times
Like many of its counterparts in the state and across the nation, Bensalem Township School District is seeing an increase in the number of families enrolling their children in charter schools. With the District expected to pay $17 million in charter school tuitions for the 2018–2019 school year, administrators and school board members would like to ensure that the community is aware of the value of a Bensalem Township education as well as the comprehensive and state-of-the-art resources available in all District schools.
“The District wants to better understand why some families opt for a charter school education,” said Bensalem superintendent of schools Dr. Samuel Lee. “The survey also asks our current families who are enrolled in Bensalem Township schools how we can communicate more effectively with them. We want to hear all opinions.”
All community members are being asked to complete an online survey as part of the discovery process, said Lee. The online survey is available at https://www.bensalemsd.org/survey. Those who wish to offer feedback are asked to complete the survey by May 11, 2018. All responses to the online survey are confidential and residents are not required to identify themselves by name as a condition of completing the survey.
The online survey asks a variety of questions, with a specific section devoted to respondents who indicate their child/children attend charter schools. Other questions on the survey include the importance of communication between the District and the community, as well as the preferred methods for delivery of official District messages and notices. Survey takers also will be asked to rate items such as the District’s reputation in the community, commitment to educational excellence and equity. Questions on the survey are intuitive and each new question is generated based on the answer to the previous question.
Lee said he is hopeful that the charter school families will be just as willing to complete the survey as those families enrolled in Bensalem Township schools. “We feel these families are well qualified to tell us why they chose to educate their children elsewhere, and their perceptions and feedback will be considered as we plan for the future.”
In addition to the online survey, the District will conduct several focus groups consisting of charter school families to facilitate a deeper assessment of their reasons for choosing a charter school. Families interested in participating in the focus groups can indicate their willingness to do so at the end of the online survey.
