Northridge student representative praises athletics, music and capstone work, urges more funding for instruments and extracurriculars
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Summary
Student council president Timothy Longacre reported on Northridge High achievements — including a national top-10 finish for the marksmanship team and growing band participation — and asked the district to consider more funding for instruments, shooting team travel and art department repairs.
Timothy Longacre, president of the district council of student representatives and a senior at Northridge High School, gave the board a report on March 24 highlighting student achievements and infrastructure needs at his school.
Longacre told the board Northridge’s marksmanship team placed 10th at nationals out of more than 5,000 competitors and 1,100 teams; he also noted strong performances and travel by the school’s band, expanding from about 20 students to nearly 200 in recent years, and capstone projects that include robotics and animation work. Longacre credited staff and program leaders for growth in athletics, arts and career-technical programs.
He identified several needs: replacement or repair of damaged band instruments used by many students; additional funding to support the shooting team’s travel to a June national event (the CMP Nationals) after federal funding freezes affected that program’s budget; and improvements to art classroom sinks and equipment. Longacre emphasized the effect of equipment disparities on student morale and participation in music programs.
Why it matters: Longacre framed his request as support for programs that produce scholarship opportunities and national recognition, asking the board and community to consider targeted investments that would sustain the programs’ momentum.
Board members congratulated students for achievements. Director Norwood amplified the performance detail, noting the scale of competition and praising the marksmanship results. Superintendent Pilch echoed congratulations and noted the district continues to consider long-term capital priorities such as bonds that could address facility and equipment needs.
Speakers in this report are drawn from the March 24 meeting and include Timothy Longacre, Director Norwood and Dr. Pilch. The board did not take immediate action on the funding requests during the meeting.
