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York County highlights gains in student connections; elementary participation jumps sharply
Summary
Division staff reported secondary student connections at 73% and a jump in elementary participation to 69% (from 51% the prior year), credited to expanded clubs, advisories and community partnerships; staff said they will continue to monitor connections alongside school-climate measures.
The York County School Board received a strategic-plan update on student connections that showcased participation gains in extracurriculars, co-curriculars and athletics and highlighted student advisories as a vehicle for voice and belonging.
Michelle Host Stettler, director of school leadership, told the board that student connections are a key performance indicator under the supportive-culture priority. She said the secondary connection rate stands at about 73%, with 34% of secondary students holding multiple connections. "We have 51% in extracurricular, 33% in co-curricular and 30% in athletics and scholastic," Host Stettler said.
On the elementary side, staff reported a rise to 69% of students connected compared with 51% last year and called out large gains at Bethel Manor (48 percentage points), Tab Elementary (52 points) and Waller Mill (38 points). Host Stettler credited creative scheduling, community partnerships secured through community-schools grants and intentional advisory work for much of the growth.
Student-advisory participants described experiences that included building public-speaking skills and influencing younger students’ behavior; presenters cited Seaford Elementary’s advisory and Grafton High School partnerships as examples. Staff also noted plans to continue using Check and Connect, strengthen advisories, and align student-connections reporting with school-climate data for FY27.
Board members praised the outreach and asked staff to ensure clubs remain voluntary and accessible to shy students; Host Stettler said clubs are based on student interest and not mandatory. Staff will continue to track participation by school and demographic groups and return to the board with regular reports.
