The Hastings School Board spent much of its Wednesday, April 8 work session reviewing results from the district’s annual School Perceptions community survey, a report that highlighted strong marks for school staff and learning environments while also revealing concerns over communication, governance and district direction.
The survey, conducted for the third consecutive year by School Perceptions, gathered feedback from parents, staff and students during the fall of 2025. Results were first shared publicly in November, with district administrators then conducting follow-up meetings through the winter before presenting additional analysis and feedback to the board this month.
Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman prepared the presentation, which focused both on overall trends and on specific staff concerns regarding relations with the school board.
Among parents, the highest-rated items centered on day-to-day school experiences and treatment of students.
The top score in the survey came from the statement that school staff treat children with dignity and respect, which received a 4.30 rating on a five-point scale. Parents also rated highly the cleanliness and upkeep of school facilities (4.18), feeling welcome in their child’s school (4.11), fair treatment of students when rules are broken (4.14), and having at least one staff member they feel comfortable contacting with ideas or concerns (4.07).
Those responses suggested strong confidence in teachers, support staff and building-level culture.
The lowest parent scores, however, pointed toward broader governance and communication issues.
Parents rated overall school communications at 3.04, while the statement that the school board is doing what it takes to make the district successful scored 3.17. The statement that the district is headed in the right direction came in at 3.41, tied with satisfaction regarding anti-bullying efforts. District administration’s role in making the district successful scored 3.79.
The survey also measured year-over-year change. Parents reported the greatest improvement in high expectations for students and satisfaction with learning, both up 1.3%, while perceptions of school board effectiveness declined 6.2% and belief the district is headed in the right direction fell 5.0%.
Among district employees, the strongest ratings again focused on internal school operations and classroom work.
Staff gave a 4.48 rating to the statement that Hastings schools do a good job educating students. Healthy working relationships with coworkers scored 4.45. Access to needed technology support scored 4.13, while having the technology needed to do the job well and feeling safe at work each scored 4.05.
But the lowest staff scores were concentrated around district leadership and board governance.
The statement that the school board is doing what it takes to make the district successful received a 2.15 rating. Staff also rated district pay practices as fair at 2.47, the district being headed in the right direction at 2.80, the district seeking input from a broad group of staff members at 2.86, and student discipline practices and policies as effective at 3.05.
Year-over-year changes among staff reflected similar themes.
The largest improvement was in having materials and supplies needed to do the job well, up 2.4%. However, staff perceptions of the board doing what is necessary for district success fell 28.1%, while confidence in district direction declined 25.9%. Perceptions of district administration success dropped 18.6%, and fairness of pay practices declined 16.0%.
A significant portion of the April 8 presentation focused on follow-up meetings conducted by Wehrkamp Herman with school buildings and departments, including custodians, food service, technology staff, district office employees and administrative assistants.
According to the presentation, those meetings were intended to identify “the story behind the data” and gather concerns specifically related to school board governance and oversight.
Four recurring themes were identified.
The first was professionalism and trust. Staff said they wanted the board to respect the expertise of educators and said some comments made during public meetings or policies adopted by the board had created feelings of distrust. Examples cited in the presentation included allegations that teachers grade students based on political bias and negative public comments regarding staff benefits and salaries.
The second theme was communication and presence. Staff reportedly described the board as unapproachable and disconnected from daily classroom realities. Employees asked for more building visits and informal conversations with board members in a supportive, non-evaluative setting.
The third was micromanagement and overstepping. Staff feedback said some board members were involving themselves in operational matters such as curriculum recommendations, teaching methods, field trip chaperones, and student activities including Homecoming and Snow Week.
The fourth theme was culture of belonging. Staff expressed frustration over the removal of Policy 100 and denial of a single-stall bathroom renovation grant at Kennedy Elementary, saying those decisions occurred without adequate communication or staff input.
The presentation concluded with a discussion of next steps, though no formal action was taken at the work session.
The results painted a nuanced picture for Hastings Public Schools: strong confidence in classroom staff and student learning environments, paired with growing concerns about communication, leadership stability and the relationship between district employees and elected board members.
As the district continues planning for future budgets, enrollment challenges and strategic priorities, the survey results are likely to remain an important point of discussion in the months ahead.