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North Clackamas students press board for more counselors, diverse staff and club funding
Summary
Student members of the districtYouth Equity Advisory Committee told the school board they want more mental-health support, better representation among staff, more funding for extracurricular clubs and fixes to school policies they say are not working for students.
Student representatives from four North Clackamas high schools told the district board on Feb. 13 that mental-health services, staff diversity and adequate club funding are priorities they want the district to address.
The Youth Equity Advisory Committeepresentation, led by Chief of Student and Family Services Dr. Kalia Williams Rodriguez, brought student leaders from Adrian C. Nelson, Clackamas, Milwaukie and New Urban high schools to the board meeting. The students described recurring problems across schools and suggested district- and school-level changes.
"Many of the suggestions that you've already heard are echoed in Milwaukie High School students. We absolutely want more nutritious lunches and more variety among them," said Gustavo, the Milwaukie High School representative. He also told the board that counselors are overextended: "getting a counselor appointment for something as simple as changing a class ... can take maybe one to two months."
Students at multiple schools said vaping and addiction are widespread, that some school buildings are understaffed, and that clubs lack funding and adult sponsors. A Clackamas High School student said the school recently lost a longtime bookkeeper who had served as a trusted connector for students, and that "there's a lack of diverse staff at our school," leaving some students reluctant to raise personal concerns with adults who do not share their backgrounds.
Students also described day-to-day issues: the limited number and location of refillable water stations at one school causes students to miss class time; AP students would benefit from a separate study hall; and some students asked the district to reconsider Yonder phone pouches and other phone-control measures that they say students bypass.
Board members asked clarifying questions and said they would follow up with staff. Director Bauer asked staff to gather information about counselor wait times; staff said principals and district staff are already reviewing counselor scheduling and would report back. Several board members praised the students for their presentations and said the district needs to keep student voice central to decision-making.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; it was an informational item and the students were available for follow-up discussion.
