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Prosser School Board appoints three student representatives after interviews
Summary
After interviewing eight candidates in closed session, the Prosser School Board appointed Samantha Jimenez, Esri Roy and Olivia Smazni as the 2025–26 student board representatives; the appointees will be sworn in at a special meeting May 29.
The Prosser School Board on May 20 appointed Samantha Jimenez, Esri Roy and Olivia Smazni as student board representatives for the 2025–26 school year after interviewing eight candidates and briefly recessing for an executive session to evaluate applicants.
Board members conducted individual interviews with student applicants during the public meeting and then met in executive session “pursuant to RCW 42 31 10 1 B and C,” a phrase recorded in the meeting minutes, to evaluate candidates’ qualifications before returning to open session for a vote. Superintendent Kim Casey attended the executive session as authorized by the board.
The board made the appointments by motion, which was moved and seconded in open session and approved by voice vote. The board announced the three appointees and said they will be sworn in at a special board meeting on Thursday, May 29 at 6 p.m. The board noted that interviews and final evaluation of candidates were conducted in accordance with the district’s stated appointment process.
Interviews included questions about how each student would gather feedback from peers, balance extracurricular commitments with board duties, and identify one priority issue to address as a student representative. The candidates who interviewed during the meeting were Samantha Jimenez (graduation year 2026), Bridal (Lina) Le Fay (2026), Sofia Madera (2027), Zaylin Medina (graduation year listed in transcript as 02/1927), Valerie Kiana Munoz (2026), Esri Roy (2027), Ernesto Santian (2027) and Olivia Smazni (2027). Several candidates described plans to use bulletin items, QR codes, forms and face-to-face conversations to solicit peer feedback.
The board made a public announcement of the appointments at the end of the meeting; the record shows the motion carried. The board’s public materials list the outgoing 2024–25 student representatives — Yoshimi Garcia, Cammy Duncan and Alexander Tiveldi — and the district said it will recognize their service following the swearing-in ceremony for the new representatives.
Why it matters: Student representatives serve as the formal conduit between the district’s student body and the board, bringing student concerns into board discussions and participating in some meetings and district activities. The new representatives will participate in board meetings and related duties during the 2025–26 school year.
Meeting context: The interviews were a major portion of the evening’s agenda; the board recessed into executive session for candidate evaluation before returning to open session to take formal action. The transcript records no objections to the appointments and shows a unanimous aye vote in open session.
Ending: The three appointed student representatives will be sworn in at a special meeting on May 29; further details about their duties and any orientation were not specified in the meeting record.
