Students from Black Hills High School told the Tumwater School District board that the state-required “High School and Beyond” plan often feels like a chore rather than a useful tool for post‑graduation planning, and they urged the district to expand career-connected options.

During the board’s student work report, a student representative summarized survey and interview feedback saying many students “felt the high school and beyond plan provided little to no benefit” and that the plan’s design tends to push a four‑year college pathway rather than other post‑graduation choices. Students described the assignment as confusing, overly focused on college admissions and insufficiently connected to trades, apprenticeships or other career pathways.

Students identified specific alternatives they said made them feel more prepared: attendance at skill centers (for example, New Market Skills Center), more career-focused after‑school clubs, greater access to Running Start and more school‑based career events such as career fairs and dedicated club days. The student representative told the board that many students wanted shorter, lower‑commitment options that still offered exposure to careers and applied learning.

Assistant Superintendent Megan Dawson and other board members acknowledged the concerns and said the district’s curriculum adoption and career‑pathway work intersect with the district strategic plan. Board members noted prior vetting of programs and the district’s use of both state requirements and supplemental local programs to meet diverse student needs.

The board heard that some aspects of the High School and Beyond plan are governed by state systems, which limits district discretion, but members repeatedly urged staff to explore “supplements” such as expanded partnership with skills centers, club offerings and Running Start access to better align student experiences with varied post‑graduation goals.

The discussion did not include a formal action to change the statewide plan; rather, board members directed continued attention to local programs and supports that can supplement state requirements and improve students’ sense of readiness.

Speakers (as referenced in the transcript): Student representative (unnamed); Megan Dawson, Assistant Superintendent; Kevin (board member, first name only in transcript); Superintendent (Did Robinson, identified in packet as superintendent).

Provenance:
Topic intro: transcript block starting at 00:05:47 — "For Black Hills High School the vast majority of students said..." (s373.985).
Topic finish: transcript block ending at 00:16:45 — board response and transition to public comment (s782.32996).

Topics:
[{"name":"student_preparation","justification":"Primary topic: student feedback on the High School and Beyond plan and recommended local interventions","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.95,"depth_score":0.70,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.10,"civic_salience":0.65,"impactfulness":0.60,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]

Clarifying details:
[{"category":"examples_of_pathways","detail":"New Market Skills Center mentioned by students as a positive pathway","value":"not_specified","source_speaker":"Student representative"},{"category":"student_suggestions","detail":"More career fairs, built‑in club days, more Running Start access","value":"not_specified","source_speaker":"Student representative"}]

Searchable_tags:["students","career_pathways","curriculum","Running Start","Black Hills High School"]

Salience justification: Student feedback relates to curriculum and career preparation affecting current students; the item is locally salient but does not by itself change policy.