How's the school culture and climate in Lenox? A survey finds some perception gaps - Berkshire Eagle

How’s the school culture and climate in Lenox? A survey finds some perception gaps | Central Berkshires | berkshireeagle.com

Lenox Memorial Middle and High School was recently the subject of a school climate survey.

LENOX — Has the culture improved at Lenox Public Schools since a brush with bullying? It's complicated.

In a survey of Lenox Memorial High School students, teachers and parents conducted by the school district, students said it is "somewhat better." Teachers and families, however, had a more favorable view.

At the elementary and middle schools, the outlook was somewhat brighter.

The climate survey was conducted last November as a follow-up to an audit from an outside law firm issued in September 2022. The report faulted some former Lenox Memorial Middle and High School administrators for mishandling, improperly investigating or ignoring more than a dozen formal and informal bullying complaints during the 2021-22 school year.

A score between 0 and 50 meant school culture had not improved, while scores closer to 100 signaled that it was much better.

Lenox Memorial Middle School students were happier with the school culture, rating it 65 out of 100, while families and teachers of sixth through eighth graders rated it at 69.

Lenox Memorial Middle and High School was recently the subject of a school climate survey.

Current Superintendent William Collins, Lenox Memorial Middle and High School Principal Jeremiah Ames and award-winning Morris Elementary Principal Brenda Kelley have focused intently on warming up the school climate.

Survey results were featured during the televised April 29 School Committee meeting.

Here are some takeaways:

LENOX MEMORIAL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL

Perceptions differed among students compared to staffers and families, Ames pointed out, especially at the high school level.

Asked whether school culture has improved, high school students offered a lukewarm 48, while teachers were more optimistic with a 59 and families with a 61 rating. Middle school students had a warmer response with 65, as did their families and teachers with 69. A rating of 0 meant not better, while 100 indicated much better.

On a scale of 0 to 100 (0 unsafe, 100 very safe), high school teachers offered a 65 rating on how safe students feel at school, while high school students rated it 71 and high school families 79. Middle school students rated safety at 73, with families scoring 72 and teachers 79.

Whether LMMHS would be recommended to a friend, high school students rated a chilly 43 (somewhat likely was a 50), while their teachers and families were far more favorably inclined, with ratings of 68 and 70. Middle school students offered a 72 score, while their families were even higher with an 84 and their teachers an 87.

Lenox Memorial Middle and High School was recently the subject of a school climate survey.

Most participating middle school teachers and families gave relatively high marks on the LMMHS climate for acceptance of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion and beliefs, and disabilities. By a strong majority, middle school students rated favorably on the same questions.

A majority of high school families and teachers found very or somewhat accepting attitudes on those questions.

But there was a “very clear message” from high school students, Ames pointed out. From 30 to 40 percent found somewhat or very intolerant attitudes on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation/gender identity, religion/beliefs and disabilities. “These numbers concern me,” Ames acknowledged, especially the different perceptions among high school students in contrast to teachers and families.

The principal noted that 212 out of 252 high school students took the survey, as did 25 of 26 teachers, but only 18 families. At the middle school, 182 out of 189 students participated, along with 16 out of 22 teachers, but just 11 families.

MORRIS ELEMENTARY

All 152 third through fifth graders took the survey, as did 30 staffers, but only 65 of the school’s 233 families participated. Kelley pointed out that efforts to increase family response will accompany a follow-up survey later this spring.

Among the students, nearly 80 percent would recommend Morris to a friend, while scores on the 0 to 100 scale ranged from the low 70s to the mid-80s on mutual respect, feeling of belonging, school improvement, teachers working to improve the climate and an accepting community.

Staffers offered an overwhelmingly positive outlook on the school culture and climate, with a score of 83 on improvement, and 90 for safety of children at school, ease of getting help with bullying and respect among students with their peers. While a few staffers voiced concerns about the school community’s tolerance regarding race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and beliefs, and disabilities, 90 percent would recommend Morris to friends and family members.

Overall results reveal positive sentiments about school culture by families who filled out the survey, with a score of 62 from parents rating school climate as improving, a 73 rating on ease of getting help with bullying, an 82 score on school safety and 87 for respect shown among students. Most parents who returned surveys stated they would recommend Morris to friends and other families.

“If you walk through Morris now, you’ll see signs about kindness and speaking out against bullying,” Kelley said.