Student advisory council reports broad acceptance of cell-phone pilot; students flag facilities needs and driver-education access

Zach Buffington, a senior at Topeka West High School and representative of the district's high-school superintendent advisory councils, presented student feedback to the board.

Buffington said the majority of students reported that bullying is not a significant current issue. He listed facilities needs — gym floors, locker rooms, practice fields and air-conditioning in high-school buildings — and said district staff (notably Mr. Nate Schaeffer) plan to engage on those topics. Students also reported a positive response to new high-school block scheduling and improved lunch quality; a 360-student survey will be sent to collect additional data.

On the cell-phone policy, Buffington said students "understand the rationale" and that most have accepted the measure, though some suggested limited reward-based exceptions for students who complete work. Dr. Anderson characterized the current year as a pilot for the policy and praised broad student acceptance. Buffington also recommended reintroducing a district-sponsored driver's-education program because local private programs are too expensive for some families, forcing travel to Lawrence for instruction.

Board members thanked Buffington for the update and encouraged continued student participation; no policy change was enacted at this meeting.