Student Board Representatives
This spring, two Valley students will be elected out of the current Junior class to sit on the school board as a non-voting member for the 2024-25 school year. Walnut Creek Campus juniors who are interested in this opportunity will work directly with Dr. Kim Davis, principal at Walnut Creek.
Candidate Guidelines
Students must be a senior during the 2024-25 school year.
- April 2: Encore informational session; applications open to all juniors.
- April 10: Students must complete an online application by 4 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- April 11-12: Principal Shannon Campbell compiles applications.
- April 15: A committee will review the applications. Committee members will include some current student council representatives, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Jok, and members from the West Des Moines Education Association (WDMEA). The committee will select up to six finalists.
- April 16: Finalists will be notified by email.
- April 17-18: Finalists record video with the district Communications department.
- April 22-25: Campaign videos will be shown to Valley students.
- April 29: Students will vote by paper ballot in Advisory for student board representatives and student council leadership representatives.
- May 1: Election results will be announced.
Student Board Representative Responsibilities
- Attend as many school board workshops and meetings as possible. In general, workshops and meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays. Meetings can be missed once or twice, but they should be prioritized over other commitments.
- Students miss two full days of school (one in each semester) to attend a board conference and event at the Iowa Capitol.
- Students meet a minimum of once every three weeks Valley administration. Additional meetings with the superintendent and/or board members may also occur.
- Students are encouraged to attend other district-related events to increase awareness of the role of a student representative and listen to students and staff.
- Students would be sworn in at the September 9, 2024 meeting and would complete their responsibilities in May prior to graduation.
- Consistently seek out feedback from students and get to know the topics and issues that are a priority to them. While feedback from Valley students is important, representatives must be willing to listen to any WDMCS student.
Introduction and History
In January 2022, a handful of students noticed a distinct lack of student voice at the district level after attending a series of board meetings. This opportunity for growth in our district’s framework led to the creation of the Student Representatives (StuReps) Committee.
The StuReps Committee’s work quickly took the form of a policy that aimed to include non-voting student members of the West Des Moines School Board. The members of this committee sought out cross-referencing from other metro school boards, including Johnston, and the synthesis of pre-existing StuReps policies across the state.
The hundreds of hours poured into this passion project over 12 months is a testament to its value for our community. After this year of love-filled effort from students, teachers, and administrators alike, the policy was passed by the Board of Education on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.
Board Policy 206.05: Student Representatives on the School Board