Less Than Half Of PVUSD Students Feel Like They Belong At School

WATSONVILLE, CA — Less than half of Pajaro Valley Unified School District high school students this year reported feeling a sense of belonging in their campus community, according to the newly released results of a wide-ranging survey of students, parents and teachers.

When asked if students felt like they were part of the school community, 12 percent said they strongly agreed and 34 percent said they agreed, according to survey findings shared in a PVUSD press release. Another 37 percent said they neither agreed nor disagreed, 11 percent disagreed and 6 percent strongly disagreed, according to the district.

The survey, administered in the fall of 2019, included responses from roughly 11,800 students, 3,500 parents and guardians, and 990 staff members — 16,300 people in all. The same survey was administered last year to some 12,400 people.

Among the most significant changes recorded between this year and last was how families ranked communication, according to the findings. On a scale of 1 to 5, families last year ranked the schools' communication at about 2.9, but that number jumped to 4.1 this year.

Relatively modest increases were also noted when it came to high school families' ratings of how smoothly schools run, middle school families' ratings of how school policies are administered. Parents and staff alike reported an increase in academic rigor, according to the press release.