Berkeley Unified Aims for Better Communication

A post-publication clarification has been made to this article.

Improving communication has been a vital focus for the Berkeley Unified School District, which depends on financial support from Berkeley tax payers.

Earlier this year, Superintendent William Huyett established a Communications Working Group to tackle the issue. School Board Director Josh Daniels is also working on soliciting feedback from the public, with .

In the past, parents have been frustrated by communication roadblocks and problems with information dissemination at the board and district level. Members of the community have complained during school board meetings about not being involved in decisions or informed of important changes like cuts to programs.

"The district has been trying to improve, but I think they have a long way to go," said School Board Director Josh Daniels. 

One example of communication failure was the October closure of Berkeley High's gymnasium due to seismic safety concerns. Lack of communication with the affected parties, coupled with the abrupt closure, caused confusion for students, staff and parents involved in the school's athletic program. One parent called the silence from the district "deafening."

Daniels is seeking answers to the problem by encouraging feedback and ideas on how to improve the district's communication skills. 

"It matters not only because it helps us do a better job as a district, but because we depend on taxpayer support for 25 percent of our budget," said Daniels. "If we don't do a good job, outreaching to the community and legitimizing our ability to reflect the community's concerns, it may hurt our ability to get support for special taxes and bond measures that really do make a huge difference in the district."

Daniels will host a  in the community room of .

What do you think of the Berkeley Unified School District's communication skills? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

This article has been updated since initial publication. If you spot a mistake or have further information or details to add to a story, please contact Berkeley@patch.com.