Dear Editor,

Parents of children in Langley School District have been dealt yet another blow, due to the district's decision to entertain changes to the school calendar year.

Even more concerning is the approach the District is taking to get feedback from those impacted.

Starting February 2013, the School District posted an online survey to get feedback. Their website states that they are "seeking input through a calendar survey in which parents, guardians, secondary students and staff will have the opportunity to indicate their preference from among the three options."

They claim the results will be submitted to the Board of Education for consideration in advance of their decision on March 12, 2013.

Nowhere on the survey itself does it explain the options or provide any detail. There are no opportunities for people to provide additional commentary or feedback. There are no restrictions as to who fills the survey out. There are no restrictions as to how many surveys can be filled out. Although they claim to have fixed this bug on Monday, Feb. 4, multiple surveys can still be submitted (doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how).

The survey cannot be completed using certain phones and portable devices.

So I have to ask myself: How serious is the school district about this survey? How serious is the school district about really listening to the voices of those impacted by these potential changes?

Yet again, the school district's actions indicate they are simply going through the motions to appease the public on a decision that I believe has already been made.

Simon Blunden, Langley

[Note: Find more letters on this topic online at www. langleyadvance.com. Click on Opinion.]