PRINEVILLE, OR -- The Crook County School Board is facing criticism after the results of a staff survey were leaked on social media. Several parents spoke at Monday night’s board meeting, frustrated there was not a plan to release the data. "My husband and I were disappointed that this wasn’t on the agenda tonight," said one mother. Another said, "Chair Brumble. As the person who sets the agenda, I feel like your immediate concerns should’ve been our staff and addressing survey results." 

Another parent urged the board to openly discuss the survey responses, the majority of which are reportedly negative, "This feedback is a gift. Even when it’s hard to hear. And keep in mind, it’s the gift-giver’s reality. I’d like to know if there’s a plan underway to publicly share what you’ve heard from the feedback and what your actions will be."

Board Chair Jessica Brumble says there was talk at a summer workshop of issuing a survey, but the proposal was never finalized. She says she didn’t know about it until after the survey was done, "We received a packet of surveys that were given. Us, as the board, did not ask necessarily for these questions to be asked. We didn’t know the survey was given. We were given the results."

Brumble acknowledged the majority of the responses were negative, but said they were only a fraction of the surveys issued, "It was given to roughly 400 people within our district. We probably got back about 25% in surveys answered." She went on to say, "I looked at them and said, 'well, we got roughly 20+%. Yes, a lot of them were upset. We did get some positives back.' But that leads me to believe that overall, the district is happy. That’s 75% that didn’t feel a need to submit a survey to say they were ‘whatever.’"

A few parents who testified during the public comment period of Monday's meeting spoke in support of the administration and speculated the unapproved survey was sent by the previous board or a disgruntled employee. But, Board member Scott Cooper said it came from former Assistant Superintendent Joel Hoff, "I don’t believe Joel Hoff was intentionally doing anything negative to the board. I believe he thought he was implementing the board’s wishes in trying to put the survey out. He probably should’ve talked to us before he did it. But I don’t think it was a negative intent." Hoff resigned in August after the board hired interim Superintendent Duane Yecha.  

Each board member admitted they’ve read the more than 60 survey responses, but did not talk about a time to publicly discuss the feedback.