Dear Midd-West School District Community,
Thank you for participating in our recent educational survey campaign. Between April 16 and May 3, 2026, we received 797 responses from students, parents, guardians, teachers, staff, alumni, and local business partners. Your feedback provides clear direction for our strategic planning and continuous improvement efforts.
Survey Demographics
Our respondent group represents a broad cross-section of our community:
• Students (Grades 6 to 12): 45% of respondents
• Parents and Guardians: 40% of respondents
• Teachers and Staff: 12% of respondents
• Alumni, Local Employers, and Board Members: 3% of respondents
Key Findings and Strategic Insights
1. Academic Priorities and Future Readiness
The community emphasizes practical life preparation and core character traits. When asked to identify the most important skills for students to develop, respondents selected work ethic, critical thinking, and communication as the top three priorities.
Local employers echoed these priorities, stating that work ethic and reliability are the top attributes they look for when hiring young employees. Student narrative responses frequently requested additional real-world applications, specifically targeting functional financial literacy and practical life skills.
2. Support for Flexible Pathways and Focused Learning
The data shows strong community interest in personalizing the high school experience:
• Flexible Graduation Pathways: 88% of parent and community respondents rate a flexible graduation pathway allowing for personalized or work-based learning as important or extremely important.
• Concentrated Learning Time: 93% of respondents support or strongly support a school schedule that prioritizes deeper, more concentrated learning time over a higher total number of short-term courses.
3. Flexible Instruction Days (FIDs) and the 2026-2027 Calendar Compromise
The survey gathered extensive feedback regarding the effectiveness and structure of Flexible Instruction Days (FIDs) used during emergency school closures:
• Overall Effectiveness: 66% of respondents rate FIDs as an effective substitute for in-person learning during emergency closures.
• Primary Benefit: 61% of respondents view avoiding add-on June makeup days as the primary benefit of FIDs.
• Continuation of FIDs: 63% of respondents believe the district should continue using FIDs in place of traditional snow makeup days. Additionally, 61% of respondents prefer utilizing FIDs if it guarantees that the school year ends as scheduled in early June.
While the data shows clear support for FIDs to protect the June graduation timeline, we also recognize the challenges raised regarding internet connectivity, student engagement, and software navigation.
To balance the community desire for a stable June calendar with the need for high-quality, in-person instruction, the district will implement a calendar compromise for the 2026-2027 school year.
The district will utilize traditional in-person makeup days for the first two school closures of the year. These two snow makeup days will be held in person and will not be made up as FIDs. The snow make up days are scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, 2027, and Friday, April 16, 2027. These days will be IN PERSON MAKE UP DAYS. For any subsequent closures, the district will immediately deploy FIDs on the day of the school closure for a total allotment of up to 5 FIDs. This approach ensures our students receive valuable face-to-face instruction early in the winter season while still utilizing the flexibility of FIDs to prevent the school year from extending deep into June.
We appreciate your commitment to the Midd-West School District. Your active participation helps us align district programming with student needs and community expectations.
Sincerely,
The Midd-West School District Administration