Trinity survey shows top concerns are bullying, drugs

A Trinity Area School District survey shows that teachers and parents are most concerned about bullying while students are most concerned about drugs.

Superintendent Paul Kasunich explained the 2009-10 survey results during Thursday night's school board meeting.

He said the purpose of the survey was to get a sense of what parents, teachers and students thought about the district.

Kasunich said the results will be posted online at www.trinitypride.org. However, he said, individual responses will not be posted.

He said that there was nothing different in this survey than what he has seen in other district's surveys.

But now the question becomes what to do with the information, Kasunich said.

He plans to institute the nationally-known Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. It's a comprehensive, school-wide program for use in all grades. It's been used in a dozen countries and thousands of American schools, according to the Olweus website.

Kasunich said he also plans to meet with administrators at all levels to determine what else the district can do about drugs and alcohol.

He said the survey will be given every year.

"By addressing these needs and not hiding them, that's how we will get better," Kasunich said.