Student Board Representatives

• 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.

The student board representative selection committee reviews Valley High School applications and selects up to six finalists for the ballot. 

The committee is made up of one or more representatives from:

• Student Council
• West Des Moines Education Association (WDMEA)
• WDMCS Culture and Access Department (executive director, Dr. Dau Jok)
• WDMCS Communications Department (director, Bryan Geelan)

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 a 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

2026-27

• Audrey Henning
• Thea Welge

2025-26

• Ethan Muhamedagic
• Sahaana Raman
• Blake Ranslow

2024-25

• Mirabelle Kepner
• Shema Mukome
• Rachel Kiel

2023-24

• Alexandra Bylund
• Riley Spellman

2022-23

• Michael Danos
• Lila Khan
• Ria Tomar