The Tri-Cities' District Parents Advisory Council president is calling for more openness and transparency about School District 43's financial challenges.
And Heidi Hass Gable said parents should have a say what cuts are made.
Parents are "looking and watching what's going on" and many don't know what happened or feel that information is "being withheld from us," Hass Gable said during a presentation to the board Tuesday.
"The more we understand, the more we can help you," she told trustees.
Under the current budget process, stakeholders, including DPAC, are encouraged to present their thoughts on the budget but she said that's not easy for parents who don't know the big picture, the exact state of the district's finances or what all the numbers mean.
"It doesn't always make sense to me," said Hass Gable, a technology consultant who's experienced in budgeting and works with school districts.
She urged the district to be even more consultative than it now is with parents. One of the tools she said will help the district in its decision-making is a new Thoughtstream online survey, which she said has provided a rich source of data on Tri-City parents' concerns as well as their satisfaction with their public schools.
The survey data, which was recently compiled and is meant mostly to help schools make decisions, can also provide themes useful for district administrators in making decisions, she said.
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The survey, which concluded recently, saw nearly 5,000 parents participate, generating 23,000 "thoughts" that were organized into themes.
Data collected district-wide showed parents appreciated their schools' teachers, support for special needs children, community feedback, small schools/class size and making technology accessible.
Among the top challenges identified were budget cuts, support for special needs, the teacher/student ratio and the need to maintain effective leaders.
Hass Gable also said parents have a sense that there isn't enough money in the system and are willing to advocate for more education funding. "Parents see it because we see what we're fundraising for,"
