Community praises Bloomington Schools quality and communication

Published on May 20, 2025

Parents and residents praised Bloomington Public Schools’ high quality of education, teachers, variety of academic programs and strong school community in the latest community survey. The survey was administered by the Morris Leatherman Company to 625 randomly selected adult residents and 400 parents of BPS students.

Compared to previous surveys covering similar topics, Morris Leatherman says favorable ratings from parents have significantly increased, and BPS communications efforts are rated as the strongest among the greater metropolitan area suburbs.

Participants regard district communications as highly effective and transparent, a key strength in creating goodwill and keeping them informed and engaged about decisions and policies made by the district and School Board.

BPS also earned high marks for being responsive when contacted by residents or parents about important issues. Among the survey’s key findings:

  • Eighty-nine percent of respondents rated the quality of education as excellent or good, an increase from 86% in 2022.
  • An overwhelming majority of parents (95%) who contacted the district with a question or concern were satisfied with the response they received.
  • Among all residents, 85% are satisfied with the frequency of communication, and 88% are satisfied with the quality of information.
  • Residents (39%) and parents (20%) say the district’s print newsletter, School Pages, is the most effective way to get BPS news and information. The district website is also a top source with 16% of residents and 14% of parents rating it highly.
  • More than half of parents and caregivers (51%) say they rely most on emails from the district or their child’s school. They also find value in conversations with other parents, direct communication with school staff, using parent portal platforms, and receiving newsletters from their child’s school.
  • Both groups agree on five topics they receive “too little” information about: school safety and security, career and college readiness, School Board policies and decisions, computer science education, and strategic and long-range planning.
  • Shared concerns among residents and parents include not enough funding, class sizes, and bullying or discipline issues.

Survey Methodology: The survey was conducted between March 18 - April 3, 2025. The non-response rate is five percent. The resident and parent results are projected to within ±4% and ± 5% respectively in 95 out of 100 cases.