Lacey Youth Council members tell city commissioners schools need clearer supports, lower fees and better follow-up on complaints

Lacey youth and commissioners on Feb. 24 traded examples of inclusion and frustration during a presentation by the Lacey Youth Council to the Lacey Commission on Equity, with students urging clearer accommodations, reduced fees for advanced coursework and stronger follow-up when students report harassment.

The youth presentation, led by Lacey Youth Mayor Zuri, described several school-level programs they consider equitable — unified sports, counseling center resources and cultural clubs — while also listing recurring problems. “Equity provides different levels of support to allow everyone to have what they need to succeed,” said Zuri, identified at the meeting as Lacey Youth Mayor.

The students and commissioners placed particular emphasis on access to accommodations and the school response when students report harassment or discrimination. A student who identified herself as having a 504 plan and a health plan described repeated incidents in which classmates called her derogatory slurs and teachers or counselors failed to escalate the matter. “I told multiple teachers about it, and they went, ‘yeah, people do so,’ ” the student said, adding the response from…