Student leaders urge broader access to CASB and highlight mental‑health supports
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Summary
Student council officers Sarah Vanegas and Alina Medina told the board they value CASB workshops for advocacy training but urged widening participation beyond officer ranks; they flagged a vendor offering free therapy for students and families as a high‑impact resource to replicate.
Student council representatives briefed the board on their experience at the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) conference and urged the district to open the opportunity to a larger and more diverse set of students.
Sarah Vanegas, president of the council of student representatives and a senior at Early College Academy, said workshops emphasized advocacy and inclusion, and she argued for stronger ties between the council and younger students: “We’re trying to say, you have our attention, and we’re gonna make sure you have that,” she told the board.
Alina Medina, CSR secretary and a junior at Northridge High School, described efforts to connect with middle and elementary schools last year that struggled because of difficulty contacting principals and scheduling visits. She urged district staff to help the council build those bridges so younger students can participate and benefit from leadership opportunities.
Both students singled out a mental‑health vendor at the conference that promoted easily accessible therapy for students and families with and without insurance, and they encouraged the board to consider how district partnerships could expand similar access in schools that lack regular on‑site therapy.
Board members thanked the students for candid feedback and suggested practical next steps: broaden CSR outreach, explore mentorship between high‑school officers and younger students, and consider ways to scale promising vendor services through community‑school partnerships or district contracts.