Worthington Schools Board of Education members on Monday reviewed a district proposal to replace short-term rotating student feedback groups with yearlong student teams branded as "vibe check" sessions, a change district staff said would increase continuity and increase the number of sessions during the school year.

District staff member Toya, who presented the proposal, said the plan would select 10 to 15 students at each high school to serve for the full year, "leverage these students' circle of peers or their friends for feedback," and increase sessions from 10 to 16 annually while avoiding dates in August, December and May. Toya said principals provided recommended times and that the district is suggesting third- and fifth-period meetings so the sessions occur during the school day.

The board pressed for details on representation and process. Board member Nikki Hudson said the district must ensure the small teams still gather a broad cross-section of student views and that administrators should provide tools to help students solicit feedback from peers. "The requirement that students gather feedback is critical to making this work," Hudson said. Board Vice President Amber Epling Skinner asked who would select student participants; Toya said principals would make selections and the district "has never directed principals on who they should select." Board member Stephanie Harless and Jennifer Best emphasized the value of continuity and said advancing voices of students who do not already hold leadership roles should be a priority.

Toya said the administration will summarize themes and trends from each session and circulate those summaries to board members, staff and students; she also said she would take ownership of producing the session summaries. The first session is scheduled for Sept. 9; board members agreed to indicate availability so dates and times can be finalized.

Discussion vs. decision: the board received the presentation and asked clarifying questions; no formal motion or vote was recorded on the proposal at the meeting. Direction: Toya will prepare summaries of each session and the district will work with principals on student selection and scheduling. Several board members asked that the number of adults present be reduced so "there should be more students than there are adults in the room," and asked the administration to build supports so the student liaisons can gather representative input from their peers.

Why it matters: the change shifts from short, rotating feedback groups to a persistent student cohort intended to deepen relationships between students, administrators and board members and to produce more continuous follow-up.

What remains unresolved: principals will make final selections; the board asked for additional detail on selection criteria and supports for student liaisons; the district did not identify a single off-district model it intends to replicate. The proposal will be piloted and revisited based on outcomes.

Source: presentation and Q&A during the Worthington Schools Board of Education public meeting. No formal vote was taken on this item at the meeting.