Manhattan District 114 Explores Joint Community Survey for Fall Strategic Plan

Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education Meeting | April 29, 2026

Article Summary: The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education is considering partnering with the Village of Manhattan and other local taxing bodies to fund a $5,000 community survey. The data collected would be utilized to guide the school district’s upcoming comprehensive strategic planning process this fall.

Joint Survey Key Points:

• The survey would be administered through the firm PCO.

• Questionnaires would be sent to 3,000 randomly selected residents, with an expected 12% to 15% return rate.

• The instrument features a four-page general section and a half-page customized for the school district.

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Tuesday, April 29, 2026, reviewed a proposal to participate in a joint community survey alongside the Village of Manhattan and other local taxing bodies to gather taxpayer feedback ahead of a major strategic planning initiative.

Superintendent Dr. Damien Aherne informed the Board that the taxing bodies are considering hiring the firm PCO to conduct the survey at a cost of approximately $5,000 per agency. The survey would be mailed to 3,000 randomly selected residents, aiming to capture the voices of general taxpayers rather than solely parents of current students.

The standard PCO survey features four pages of benchmarking questions used nationally, alongside a half-page dedicated to customized questions for each participating body. However, because entities like the fire department and the library have already completed their strategic plans, local officials are debating whether a purely custom survey without the national benchmarks might be a better investment.

The school district intends to use the data to inform a comprehensive, three-to-five-year strategic plan. The Board is scheduled to hold an initial goal-setting meeting with the IASB on May 6 to set immediate priorities for the next school year, but the broader strategic planning process utilizing the survey data will formally launch in October or November.