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Student advisory board summarizes year, urges alternatives to suspensions and changes to student supports
Summary
Student advisory board members reported on outreach, mental health initiatives, a tested alternative to punitive vaping discipline and proposals for more student input on curriculum and school operations.
Members of Indian Prairie School District 204's Student Advisory Board on Monday reviewed a year of work and urged the district to consider alternatives to suspension for vaping incidents, increase student involvement in curriculum design and expand access to extracurricular and after-school spaces.
The student representatives'presentation covered multiple districtwide topics. Waubonsee students said the board continued work on outreach and explored the feasibility of a 0-hour physical education option to provide students additional scheduling flexibility. Students also researched vaping and smoking among high schoolers as part of an effort to inform upcoming drug policy discussions.
Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley student representatives highlighted mental-health and student-connection work. One student described a podcast project that created "real, raw conversations" about mental health and another said the board is piloting an alternative to traditional discipline for vaping that focuses on addressing root causes rather than suspension; the pilot is under way at the district's alternative high school and administrators said they hope to expand it to Metea, Waubonsee and Neuqua if logistics permit.
Metea students also raised operational issues they said reduce instructional time, including the removal of sanitary products from bathrooms that now requires students to go to the nurse's office. They urged the district to consider placing sanitary supplies in restrooms to avoid repeated class interruptions.
Student leaders reported other initiatives: outreach to middle schools to introduce incoming 8th graders to high-school life, creating a student advisory website to increase feedback, organizing community-service nights, and working with neighboring districts interested in the district's "tribe time" advisory model.
The board publicly thanked the student advisory members and recognized graduating student members for their service. Superintendent Talley and board members praised the students' work and said the district values ongoing student input.
