On Thursday, Oct. 17, MISD School Board members Deborah Lurie, Cristina Martinez and Jody Lee came to the Library Presentation Room (LPR) at MIHS to discuss with and hear the student voices.

“The goal is to always meet and interact with community members and you guys [students] are the most important ones,” School Board President Lurie said.

There were sessions held during both lunch periods of the day. All rows of the LPR were filled with students, waiting with eager eyes to hear what the members had to say in relation to their questions. Backpacks scattered the floor and lunches and computers sat on the pull-out desks in the chairs. 

The sessions began with questions led by MIHS Student Representatives to the Board Ava Zhang and Lucy Dorer. Each member described their background and how they got involved with the Board.

Then, the floor was handed over to the students. Questions ranged from addressing drug problems, funding, budgeting and savings to the process of adopting new curricula, teacher evaluations within schools, legislative representation and sports fees. The board members did their best to give students clarity within their answers.

 “You can tell by the questions that are being asked the level of interest in the different topics,” Lurie said. 

The School Board said student input is of utmost importance as they conclude on various matters. They want to take into consideration what the main concerns of the students are and do their best to first respond to those.

As the sessions wrapped up, the Board members made one thing clear: the importance of interaction and communication. The members emphasized that students can always seek to join any of the various committees that they have. Having a student instead of an adult who was in school long ago gives a current, teenage perspective and allows for input that reflects the questions and concerns of the student body at Mercer Island. The main goal of the Board members going into these sessions was simply to hear the students’ voices and what is of importance to them, and they felt these sessions were both successful and impactful for them.

“We can’t, and shouldn’t, make decisions without hearing from our students,” Lurie said. 

If you are a student at MIHS or anyone in the Mercer Island community, and you have a concern or question for the school board, don’t be shy to reach out! They are always looking for feedback and since they are a small board in a small community, it is fairly easy to get in touch with them. They are always available through email or you can join a board meeting where they have a public input period for each meeting. 

You can find the link to meetings and more information about the School Board on the MISD website.

https://www.mercerislandschools.org/school-board/school-board-information