There has been a big drop in the number of Angus people satisfied with their local school.
The findings of a household survey carried out during 2013-14 have been reported to the council’s children and learning committee.
Only 72% of adults questioned said they were satisfied with schools in their neighbourhood, down from the 87% recorded the last time the survey was done two years previously.
The average figure from comparable local authorities was 86%.
A council report described the result as “deeply disappointing” but suggested the problem may lie with the general population rather than the parents of pupils.
It said: “This has concerned us greatly and we have discussed this measure with head teachers, who gather data relating to parental satisfaction with schools on a regular basis.
“We will collate school data, which demonstrates that the challenges may not be with parents of pupils at our schools but with other members of the communities in which our schools are located.
“All schools will be asked to consider how they can engage more fully with their local communities to improve public perception.”
Schools inspectors visited three primaries and one secondary in Angus last year. All were graded as satisfactory or better when tested against a series of quality indicators.