Tyler Ferreira, a senior at Scappoose High School, interviewed Monday for the Scappoose City Council's vacant student representative seat and told councilors he wants to bring classroom technology and career‑readiness concerns to the council.

Ferreira said the district is "overcapacity" after an influx of students from St. Helens, that teachers sometimes share rooms and that the school lacks reliable Chromebooks for student work. He recommended expanding job‑shadow and career‑exposure programs that connect students with local employers.

"There's not enough career exposure. It's really hard going into the world...a bachelor's degree is just a starting point now," Ferreira said, arguing for more local job‑shadow opportunities and for the city to help connect schools with area businesses.

Why it matters: The council appoints a student representative who conveys student perspectives to city decisionmakers; school capacity and technology access affect classroom instruction and how students complete assignments. City involvement can influence partnerships and outreach to local businesses but not school district facility decisions, which rest with the school board.

Ferreira described several specific issues he wants the student rep to raise. He said Scappoose High School enrolls about 800 students and that the school board recently voted to close intradistrict transfers because of overcapacity. He told councilors teachers at his school sometimes rotate with a cart because of limited classroom space and said the district's Chromebooks, obtained roughly four years ago, have degraded and are not consistently available or easily charged during the school day. He also referenced a recent executive order implementing a phone ban at school that makes Chromebook access more critical for students who otherwise use phones for class tasks.

He offered local examples of successful career exposure: a fire science program led by Fire Chief Pritcher and a hygienist at Healthy Smiles of Scappoose who told him local clinics could host job‑shadow days. Ferreira said he had researched bond financing options and noted contact with Alex Tardiff and a bond committee that is reportedly being organized to address school facility needs.

Councilors praised Ferreira's application. "I really enjoyed reading it," Councilor Santiago said, and others asked how he would balance extracurricular commitments with twice‑monthly council meetings. Ferreira said he has reorganized his schedule and is committed to attending meetings; council staff noted meetings are recorded and that attendance can be flexible.

No appointment was finalized at the work session. The mayor (unnamed in the record) and councilors moved the formal appointment and vote to the regular council meeting, and Ferreira was invited to return for the public portion of that agenda item.

Details from the meeting: Ferreira said he moved to Scappoose in 2015, attends Grant Watts Elementary previously, and has been active in athletics and school leadership. He cited the fire science course with Chief Pritcher as a model for how local employers can expose students to careers. Councilors asked follow‑up questions about meeting schedules and how the student rep could coordinate with the school district and city programs.

The council will consider the appointment during its regular meeting; no formal vote or resolution occurred during the work session.