Student Board Representatives

Up to three WDMCS high school seniors sit on the WDMCS Board of Education as non-voting members every year.

Each spring, two Valley High School students are elected out of the junior class to sit on the WDMCS Board of Education as non-voting members for the following school year. Walnut Creek Campus juniors interested in this opportunity work directly with Dr. Kim Davis, principal at Walnut Creek.

Candidate Timeline: 2026-27 School Year

Students must be a senior during the 2026-27 school year.

March 26: Application opens to all juniors and introduced at Encore informational session
April 8: Applications due by 4 p.m. CT. Late submissions will not be accepted
April 10: Selection committee reviews applications, selects up to six finalists
April 13: Finalists notified by email
April 15-16: Finalists record campaign video with assistance from WDMCS communications department
April 27-May 4: Campaign videos shared with Valley students
May 5: Students vote by paper ballot in Advisory (also vote for student council leadership at this time)
May 6: Election results announced

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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.

Selection Committee

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)

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 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

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