When it comes to plotting the destiny of the district’s educational facilities, two heads are better than one — or better yet, several thousand heads are better than one.

Administrators with Dowagiac Union Schools are currently soliciting feedback on what improvements the district can make to its buildings. Over the next several weeks, residents living in the district should participate in a short survey, either electronically or via pen and paper, which will be used to help them determine what priorities the community has concerning these facilities, be it improvements to their security, ADA compliance, heating and cooling, other something else, said Superintendent Paul Hartsig.

“We want to get a feel for what the community thinks, and about what they want to do with our existing structures,” Hartsig said.

The questionnaire, which will be open until April 27, can be completed online on the district’s website, www.dowagiacschools.org. Residents can request a paper and pencil copy please by calling 782-4400; the district will mail a copy with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

All responses, online and paper and pencil, are anonymous, Hartsig said.

The district has sought to involve district parents in development of a plan for any potential facility improvements for more than a year, when it began hosting public tours of its four elementary schools, middle and high school. These tours, which concluded in this winter, were well attended and gave the administration some valuable feedback on what issues the community saw with the buildings, Hartsig said.

“It was a chance for the community to see the buildings up close,” he said. “A lot of time, they’re only familiar with a building or two, so to give them a chance to familiarize themselves with all of them did a lot of good.”

Since the conclusion of the walkthroughs, the district has complied the written responses attendees filled out following each tour, using them to create the public survey form.

The administration plans on using the responses from thes survey to help them determine a future course of action, Hartsig said.

Both residents who took part in the building tours and those who didn’t are encouraged to fill out the survey, the superintendent said.

“Our goal is to be as transparent and open to the public as possible,” Hartsig said. “We want the public to know we value their opinion, because at the end of the day, they have the final say with what goes on with our schools.”

The results of the survey will be presented during the May meeting of the board of education.