Independent Parent Survey Results - Spring 2026

Independent parent survey fielded in spring 2026 as FASD prepared for strategic planning. This dashboard summarizes the closed-ended results and themes from open-ended responses without using verbatim quotes.

28Survey responses26 English + 2 French
61%Included 1st grade17 of 28 responses
86%Returning to FASD24 of 28 responses
79%Selected French program strength22 of 28; top-three priority

Respondents were heavily concentrated among current 1st-grade families, and responses were voluntary rather than a full-community census. Results are best read as directional parent feedback.

Key Findings at a Glance

Mission and vision support is high.

Respondents strongly supported FASD's current mission and vision, while views on whether the school is headed in the right direction were more mixed.

The French program is the central through-line.

French language learning, the immersion model, teacher quality, and academic rigor were the clearest reasons families chose FASD and stay at FASD.

Parent partnership and communication are weaker spots.

Ratings for classroom experience were high, but parent partnership, communication/transparency, and community-building had more neutral or negative responses.

Strategic priorities cluster around program quality.

French program strength, teacher recruitment/retention, and academic excellence were the most selected priorities for the next strategic plan.

Strong educational-product confidence, weaker institutional relationship scores: Respondents rated FASD's mission, vision, classroom experience, and academic expectations more positively than parent partnership, communication/transparency, community-building, and whether the school is headed in the right direction.
Important context: This parent-led survey provides more structured community data than families have typically had available, while still reflecting a voluntary response pool rather than a full-community census.

Who Responded

Likely situation next year

Returning to FASD24 (86%)
Leaving FASD1 (4%)
Undecided3 (11%)

One respondent indicated they are not returning. Their selected leaving factors were child's social or emotional experience, leadership or governance concerns, and other.

Current grade selections

1st grade17 (61%)
2nd grade6 (21%)
3rd grade5 (18%)
4th grade3 (11%)
Prefer not to say1 (4%)
5th grade0 (0%)
Kindergarten0 (0%)

Families could select more than one grade.

Mission, Vision, and Direction

Parents broadly support FASD's mission and vision, but views are more mixed on whether the school is currently headed in the right direction. This points to stronger alignment around the school's purpose than around current execution or leadership direction.

I strongly support FASD's current mission.4.63 avg / 5
FASD's mission remains distinctive and compelling compared with other school options.4.63 avg / 5
I strongly support FASD's current vision.4.59 avg / 5
I believe FASD is headed in the right direction.3.52 avg / 5

Why Families Chose and Stay at FASD

Top factors when choosing FASD

Language immersion model20 (71%)
French language learning17 (61%)
Academic rigor / strong academics16 (57%)
Teacher quality16 (57%)
Location / convenience7 (25%)
Diverse community3 (11%)
Before- and after-care options2 (7%)
School culture / values2 (7%)
Recommendation from another family0 (0%)

Respondents could select up to three.

Top factors in staying at FASD

French language learning21 (75%)
Teacher quality21 (75%)
Academic rigor / strong academics19 (68%)
Classroom experience5 (18%)
Sense of community / family connections5 (18%)
Small-school feel / class size3 (11%)
Before- and after-care options1 (4%)
Confidence in school leadership1 (4%)
Future pathway opportunities1 (4%)

Respondents could select up to three.

Current School Experience

Classroom experience and academic expectations were rated more positively than parent partnership, communication/transparency, and community-building. Experience questions reflect how respondents view FASD today; concern questions later in the dashboard reflect future risks parents think should be watched closely.

FASD currently delivers a strong classroom experience for students.4.37 avg / 5
FASD maintains high academic expectations for students.4.00 avg / 5
Parents are treated as meaningful partners in the life of the school.3.19 avg / 5
The school is building a strong and healthy community among families.3.15 avg / 5
The school communicates clearly and transparently with families.3.11 avg / 5

Preferred French homeroom staffing model

A balanced mix of locally based and visiting teachers9 (32%)
Mostly visiting teachers from France or abroad15 (54%)
No preference3 (11%)

Importance of staffing model

Extremely important16 (57%)
Not sure2 (7%)
Very important4 (14%)
Moderately important5 (18%)
Staffing model appears central to FASD's identity: Many respondents treated French homeroom staffing as more than an operational preference. The results do not show demand for moving away from visiting French teachers; responses favored either mostly visiting teachers from France/abroad or a balanced local/visiting mix.

Strategic Priorities and Concerns

The top three selected priorities - French program strength, teacher recruitment/retention, and academic excellence - all relate directly to the quality and distinctiveness of FASD's academic model.

Most selected strategic priorities

French program strength22 (79%)
Teacher recruitment and retention18 (64%)
Academic excellence17 (61%)
Stable long-term facility5 (18%)
Middle school pathway / long-term continuity4 (14%)
Parent partnership and engagement4 (14%)
Communication and transparency3 (11%)
Student safety and well-being3 (11%)
Financial sustainability2 (7%)

Respondents could select up to three.

Elements respondents most want protected

French immersion focus24 (86%)
Teacher quality18 (64%)
Academic rigor15 (54%)
Locally based and visiting French teacher model13 (46%)
Global mindset / international orientation8 (29%)
Parent involvement2 (7%)
Strong culture and values1 (4%)
Diverse community0 (0%)
Small-school feel0 (0%)

Respondents could select up to three.

Concern ratings

A high concern score does not necessarily mean respondents believe the school is currently failing in that area; it means the topic matters enough to watch closely. Facility stability was a concern, but ranked below maintaining academic excellence, governance/Board effectiveness, communication/transparency, leadership stability, and teacher retention.

Maintaining academic excellence4.33 avg concern / 5
School governance / Board effectiveness4.15 avg concern / 5
Communication and transparency4.15 avg concern / 5
Leadership transitions / leadership stability3.96 avg concern / 5
Teacher retention3.63 avg concern / 5
Family retention3.52 avg concern / 5
School community engagement3.52 avg concern / 5
Securing a stable long-term facility3.41 avg concern / 5

Open-Ended Themes

Open responses were reviewed for themes and sentiment. The summaries below avoid verbatim quotes and should be read as qualitative signals, not vote counts.

Strong attachment to French immersion and French curriculum.

Several responses emphasized protecting the French program, French curriculum alignment, native/credentialed French teachers, and the visiting teacher/Jules Verne model.

Communication, transparency, and parent voice.

A recurring theme was that families want clearer communication, more meaningful parent partnership, and more visible responsiveness from leadership and the Board.

Academics plus individual student needs.

Families valued rigor and classroom quality, while some open responses asked for measurable academic goals, support for students who struggle, and challenge for students who excel.

Community warmth and belonging.

Some families described community connection as a reason they chose FASD, while others said that sense of warmth or inclusion has weakened.

Strategic sustainability.

Responses mentioned enrollment, facility stability, fundraising, corporate partnerships, and financial sustainability as important context for planning.

Specific improvement ideas.

Open-ended responses included requests for measurable academic goals, stronger support for students needing additional challenge or support, clearer parent-input processes, more francophone representation, improvements to fundraising strategy, and practical schedule/lunch-related feedback.

One non-returning response identified safety, culture, and accountability concerns.

One respondent indicated they are leaving. Their selected factors included child social/emotional experience, leadership/governance concerns, and other.

Mixed but engaged sentiment.

Many comments were critical or concerned, but the tone was often invested: families generally described wanting FASD to succeed while naming what they believe needs attention.

How to Read This

This dashboard uses survey responses exported on June 17, 2026. It includes 28 non-empty responses: 26 English responses and 2 French responses. The Spanish version did not receive completed responses.

The survey adds useful parent data to a conversation where families have historically had limited public information. At the same time, it should be read with context: responses were voluntary and highly concentrated among families with current 1st graders, with 17 of 28 responses selecting 1st grade. Because families could select multiple grades, grade counts are not mutually exclusive.

Question-level counts vary because branching skipped some sections for leaving or undecided families, and open-ended/demographic questions were optional. Multiple-select questions can add up to more than 100%.

For open-ended responses, this page summarizes themes and sentiment rather than publishing verbatim comments.

Data: Independent FASD Parent Survey · 28 survey responses · Prepared for transparent publication on FASDads.org