'They Need Additional Support': Survey To Students Upsets Parents

PLAINFIELD, IL — In May, Plainfield School District 202 sent out a survey to students, asking them about their sexual, religious and gender identities. Parents had the option to opt their kids out of the survey, but one took to Patch June 10 to pen a piece saying the district "did not obtain parental consent to administer the sensitive survey."

Tom Hernandez, the director of communication for Plainfield School District 202, told Patch parents were notified of the survey via email about 24 hours before it went live — after which students had a few days to complete it. Hernandez said the email was "absolutely optional and anonymous."

Parents could choose not to allow their kids to take the survey, and many chose this route, Hernandez said. He said aside from the email alert, the survey was also mentioned several times at Board of Education meetings.

The survey was done as an anti-bullying measure, according to Hernandez.

"Kids are bullied or made to feel bad for many things that are beyond their control," he said. "All this was, was an attempt to gather students' perspectives from the students about what affects their ability to do well in school. ... We understand that kids bring every bit of their lives to school, the good and the bad. They need additional support and this survey is part of that effort."

The writer of the piece posted to Patch said some emails from teachers said the survey was required, and some gave students credit for taking it as an incentive. Hernandez said if some teachers made it mandatory, "that was done by mistake." He said the directions from the administration made it optional.

While he didn't know how many chose to opt-out, Hernandez said several thousand students — out of about 15,000 contacts across the district that were on the mailing list — completed the survey.

With a new superintendent, Glenn Wood, taking the reins at the school district in 2022, Hernandez said the effort is part of his plan to help foster a diverse learning environment.

“Dr. Wood has been a leader in many areas including our efforts to expand cultural competency as well as implementing a program for foreign language at the middle school level, increasing dual credit and advanced placement courses at the high school level, and the planning for all day kindergarten,” current superintendent Lane Abrell said in a press release.