The results of the 2025-26 Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools’ Experience Survey were presented during the April 27 school board study session. The survey showed that, while the district’s students see their school experience as positive, the overall opinion provided by parents, caregivers and district employees left room for improvement.

Survey participants were asked to give a list of statements an agreement score of one through five, with five being the strongest positive endorsement for the statement. For the first time this year, parents, caregivers and employees were also asked questions regarding the district’s school board.

A total of 3,244 students in grades three through 12 participated in this year’s survey, which is less than the previous two years. Their median score total, however, was higher than previous years. In fact, the mean score for PLSAS student surveys was higher than 85% of other schools across the country.

Student survey statements with the highest mean scores included: “I believe my learning is important at my school,” “I feel my family is treated nicely or with respect at my school,” and “I believe my principal is a good leader,” which had the highest mean score of 4.35.

The student survey statements with the lowest mean scores were “I feel students are nice or show respect to each other at my school” and “I like going to my school each day,” which had the lowest mean score of 3.32.

The parent and caregiver survey was completed by 2,301 participants, which represented 350 fewer than last year, but 570 more than the 2024 survey. The median score remained consistent with previous years.

Two statements made by parents and caregivers that scored the highest included: “I am treated with respect at this school” and “I believe the school is clean and well maintained.”

The statement with the lowest score was “I receive positive phone calls, emails, or notes about my child from the school.” This year’s 3.33 mean score for the statement was higher than the previous two years’ score of 3.28.

The score for one statement that fell considerably pertained to children having the necessary classroom supplies and equipment for effective learning. The mean score for that statement had the largest decline from 4.10 last year to 4.01 this year. The 2024 mean score
was 4.13.

Three statements were added to this year’s parent and caregiver survey that covered opinions regarding the district’s school board which produced a mean score of 3.08 and could not be compared with other districts since they were unique to PLSAS. The questions included:

• The school board manages district finances effectively.
• The school board uses a variety of methods to promote effective communication throughout the district.
• The school board makes decisions in the best interest of the district.

A total of 609 district employees completed this year’s survey. This is lower than last year’s 696 participants and 622 participants in 2024. The average mean score of 3.55 was lower than last year’s score of 3.73 but better than 2024’s average mean score of 3.51.

Two employee statements with the highest mean scores were: “I have a clear understanding of my expectations as an employee,” and “I believe my work positively impacts those we serve,” which had the highest mean score of 4.38. The scores for both statements were lower than those in 2025 but higher than 2024.

A number of mean scores for two statements declined from last year and included “I see progress being made to create a culture of success for employees across the district and for those we serve,” and “I feel that district-level resources are allocated to maximize effectiveness across the organization.” Those statements had mean scores of 2.97 and 2.80, respectively.

The statement with the largest mean score decline was “I would recommend that parents select my district to serve their child.” That statement had a steep decline from 3.78 in 2025 to 3.24 this year.

Four statements were added to this year’s survey that shared the employees’ opinions regarding the school district and its board. The combined average mean score for these statements was 2.67. There is not an option to compare the statements’ mean scores with other districts since they are unique to PLSAS. The four questions were:

• I believe the school district is the preferred employer for school district employees.
• The school board manages district finances effectively.
• The school board uses a variety of methods to promote effective communication throughout the district.
• The school board makes decisions in the best interest of the district.

Superintendent Thomas said that district administration will look deeper into the reasons behind the lower scores.

“This is where we begin to have some qualitative conversations with our community and with our staff members to really understand what was some of the thinking and the context behind their scoring,” he said. “This is where we’ll be spending the rest of this school year as we set forth our school and department improvement plans for next fall.”