Back in September, the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, in partnership with Alumni Nations, asked alumni and supporters to provide their input through a community interest survey. The feedback we received through the survey was incredibly helpful — and it also reflected what makes our community such a special place.

One question, for example, asked respondents to provide three words that came to mind when thinking about our school district. Among the most prevalent were the words "pride," "community," "family," "education" and "excellence." "Strong," "opportunity," "safe" and "success" were other popular responses.

When asked about what gives them the most pride to be an alumnus of Chi-Hi, survey participants said that their time at the school prepared them for success in college and in their careers. They also said they had positive memories of their time in our schools and that, in general, students tend to succeed in Chippewa Falls.

"My experience in the CFASD really had an impact on the person I have become at 'almost' 50 years old," said one respondent. "My 7th grade best friends are still my best friends today. I have fond memories of growing up through [CFAUSD], so I have a sense of pride to be back home and happy to see my kids do the same."

"I think we do a lot for the size of town we are and we do it well — our teachers are knowledgeable and caring and we send many kids out into the world prepared to make it their own," said another respondent. "That being said, there are always kids in our community whose needs are not being met — we can and should always strive to be better."

Responses like this one tell us that while we have much to be proud of in Chippewa Falls, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must always focus on continuous improvement, working to go from a great school district to an even greater one.

How can we communicate more effectively?

We also received some helpful practical feedback from the survey. For example, respondents shared that they prefer to receive information about CFAUSD via email and our website, while social media and mailings were also cited as helpful methods of communication. And, it appears that our alumni would like to attend more district events and be informed about potential volunteering or mentoring opportunities.

Overall, we received a wonderful response to the survey, which was made available online via SurveyMonkey. In total, we had 469 alumni and supporters complete the survey and provide feedback that will serve us well as we continue to explore ways to communicate with our key stakeholders — including our former students.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete our survey and provide their input. If you would like to stay connected with old classmates and receive updates on that’s happening in Chippewa Falls schools, join Mighty Cardinals Nation today.