Survey bodes ill for school administration
May 18, 2013
A recent district-wide survey of Boundary County School District 101 employees appears to show an unsettling lack of confidence in school superintendent Dick Conley or the school board.

A total of 81 staff members participated, 55 certified staff and 27 classified employees. A total of 50 respondents were members of the Boundary County Education Association, 32 weren't affiliated.

Of those who responded, 37 were from the high school, 22 the middle school, six work at Valley View, eight at Mount Hall and 11 at Naples.

Three questions were asked: Do you have confidence in your building principal; Do you have confidence in your superintendent; and Do you have confidence in your board of trustees.

Three of four school principals; Dick Behrens at the middle school, Gary Pfleuger at Valley View and Jim Nash at both Naples and Mount Hall, were given a 100-percent confidence rating by those with whom they work; but high school principal Kirk Hoff didn't fare so well, garnering a confidence rating of only 11-percent.

As to confidence in the superintendent, respondents from Valley View gave Conley the highest confidence rating, at only 17-percent, Mount Hall staff logged in at 12 percent, the high school and Naples both gave an 11-percent confidence rating and respondents from the middle school said they had no confidence at all.

While that's bad, confidence in the school board is even worse.

Again, staff at Valley View expressed the most confidence at a mere 17-percent. High school respondents gave a 14-percent rating, and Naples staff a nine-percent vote of confidence.

None of the respondents from the middle school or Mount Hall expressed any confidence in the school board, both giving a rating of zero.