La Conner School Board lunches with students

Food for thought was on the agenda for the La Conner School Board's Monday luncheon ­meeting.

Board members and district administrators met separately with two student groups over pizza to elicit input on campus topics ranging from attendance and preferred teaching styles to areas in need of improvement, class sizes and schedules and the new cell phone free zone policy.

"It was really good feedback," board president Susie Deyo told the Weekly News afterward. "It was very positive. It's always important to hear from our ­students."

The board, Superintendent David Cram, Director of Teaching and Learning Beth Clothier, secondary Principal and Athletic Director Christine Tripp and Executive Assistant Cherri Kahns met for 30 minutes each with middle and high school students. They then debriefed after their dialogues with the students.

They related that cell phone restrictions were not posing issues at the middle school level but were a bit more problematic with high schoolers. High school students reported that the time required to lock phones in YONDR pouches first thing each morning makes it more difficult to arrive at first period classes on time.

They also said it is harder to take pictures of homework assignments with laptops than with cell phones.

"They miss that," said Deyo. "You can take pictures with a laptop but it's more cumbersome."

Board member John Agen said that student groups with which he met are okay with the district's attendance policies, citing them as a helpful preparation for life beyond school.

Deyo said students with whom she spoke voiced a preference for a seven-period instructional day at the high school. The current six-period day is due to budget constraints, Deyo said.

"The students want more electives," she noted. "They miss those classes, plus senior seminar and freshman academy."

Board members found that students favor more widespread use of mastery-based learning in classrooms. Some suggested an open campus for juniors and seniors during lunch period.

"This was a listening session for us," Deyo stressed. "It was enlightening and we always look forward to hearing the perspectives of our students."

Board members also outlined a top ten list of legislative priorities for state lawmakers.

Those priorities include – but are not limited to – ample state funding for school district staffing, continued strong support for the Federal Impact Aid Program, full state funding for basic education and mandated K-12 programs and services and state funding support for special education programs capital improvement projects.

Monday was the monthly study session, generally scheduled the second Monday. It was held a week early because Oct. 17 is the Indigenous Peoples Day holiday.