A new report from a Traverse City market research firm could give Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) board members plenty of homework leading up to a planned 2017 capital bond campaign.

Avenue ISR was hired in June by TCAPS to conduct an independent community perception study of the school system. The firm conducted 43 in-depth interviews with students, parents, staff, residents and community leaders about TCAPS’ performance in areas ranging from academic achievement to financial management to local engagement. 

Avenue ISR’s findings, released this week, contain both positive and negative takeaways for the district. Among some of the key areas where TCAPS received high marks:

> Community recognition of the importance of TCAPS. Every survey respondent agreed it is either “extremely important” (90 percent) or “very important” (10 percent) for Traverse City to have a strong public school system.
> Highly qualified/committed teachers and staff serving in the district. 91 percent of respondents agreed this was the case. Many also offered “the unsolicited opinion that TCAPS has good leadership right now."
> A close association by students/alumni between TCAPS and their “strong and positive sense of place.” Many respondents indicated their “strongest friendships, memories and current associations relate to their time in specific schools within the TCAPS system.” However, Avenue ISR cautioned that respondents tended to identify more with individual schools than the district as a whole.
> TCAPS’ success in teaching values to young people and implementing good controls to guarantee the safety and well-being of students. 69 percent of respondents agreed the former was true, while 73 percent agreed the latter was true.

The report also zeroed in on several weaknesses within the district. Those included:

> Low awareness of TCAPS’ goals, objectives and identity. A majority of respondents said they “know very little about what TCAPS is trying to accomplish.” They particularly wanted more information on how decisions were reached, TCAPS’ financial state and the overall quality of schools.
> Questionable financial decision-making by TCAPS. Only 50 percent of respondents agreed TCAPS “makes good financial decisions.” Respondents pointed to failed bond proposals in 2012 and 2013 as evidence of TCAPS trying to fund ‘nice to haves’ rather than ‘have to haves.’
> Concerns over academic performance. Only 18 percent of survey respondents rate TCAPS as “excellent” in terms of academically preparing students for the future. 62 percent rated TCAPS “very good,” 18 percent “good” and 2 percent “fair” (no respondents chose “poor”). Some respondents cited concerns that TCAPS allocates resources to either high-performing or high-needs students (leaving out the middle), and puts too much emphasis on experimental programs that are later abandoned.
> Weak community engagement and transparency surrounding decision-making. Only 42 percent of respondents agree TCAPS does a “good job of gathering input from community members before it makes decisions.” Just 54 percent said TCAPS was “open and transparent” about decision-making.

Superintendent Paul Soma says that in reviewing the report – particularly areas critical of TCAPS – board members could consider respondent feedback through one of two lenses. The first is criticism that aligns with known or actual performance shortcomings. For example, in a February Bridge Magazine report, TCAPS scored just 39 percent in third grade math proficiency and 34 percent in eleventh grade math proficiency – benchmarks that echo survey concerns over academic performance. “Our math scores aren’t good enough,” Soma acknowledges. Improving those areas, then, could go a long way toward improving community impressions of how TCAPS is performing within them.

But other survey areas reflect a “disconnect” or “communication gap” between how the community perceives TCAPS and how the district is actually performing, Soma says. He cites a presentation given by independent auditors Wednesday that praised the school district for being “one of the most effectively and efficiently run school systems in Michigan." Yet "a large percentage of respondents questioned our financial management," Soma says. "So how do we change that perception in the community?”

Answering that and other key questions raised by Avenue ISR's report will be an important aspect of the board’s work in the months and years ahead, says Soma – particularly with a new capital bond campaign looming in 2017.