Moses Lake School District seeks community members for two new advisory committees

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District is encouraging students, families, educators and community members to help shape the future of local schools by serving on two newly formed advisory committees focused on student wellness and high school learning opportunities. 

Applications for the district's High School Learning Options Committee close Monday, while applications for the newly announced Wellness Committee are due Oct. 16. 

District officials say the committees are part of a broader effort to increase community involvement in district decision-making while addressing issues affecting student achievement, health and overall well-being.

"We want community involvement across the board," Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. "These are two great committees that allow our community to engage, to ask questions, to voice concerns and also to be part of the process." 

The Wellness Committee was created following discussions among district leaders and school board members about student health, nutrition and physical activity opportunities, Shannon said. 

One area of interest is examining how the district can expand access to locally sourced foods and increase scratch cooking in school kitchens. 

"We want to take a look at our nutrition and what our district is doing from a nutrition standpoint and what is being served on a daily basis," Shannon said. "Really just to kind of take a look at the overall opportunities for students to be physically active and what is available to them throughout the school day." 

The committee will study nutrition and physical activity opportunities available to students across all grade levels and help establish districtwide wellness goals and policies. Members will also help identify ways to engage students, staff, families and the broader community in wellness initiatives. 

Shannon said student participation will be an important component of the committee's work. 

"We're looking for student voice as well, because those are voices that impact this process on a daily basis," he said. "They're the recipients." 

The district is also seeking members for its High School Learning Options Committee, which will conduct a comprehensive review of instructional programming across Moses Lake's secondary schools. 

The committee's initial work will focus on examining differences between six-period and seven-period schedules and exploring ways to strengthen project-based learning opportunities districtwide. 

According to Shannon, the committee will evaluate whether current programs and pathways are meeting students' needs and identify potential improvements. 

"What does that look like? What does it need to look like?" Shannon said. "Are we providing what students need, or do we need to look at changes that significantly impact student learning?" 

The review will also include project-based learning approaches associated with Vanguard Academy and whether similar opportunities could be expanded throughout the district. 

Shannon said the committee's formation does not signal any predetermined changes to existing schools or programs. Instead, he said, recommendations will be developed through research, discussion and community input. 

The district is seeking representation from a broad cross-section of the community, including students, parents, teachers, paraeducators, counselors, administrators and community members interested in public education. 

Shannon said district leaders hope both committees will provide a meaningful avenue for residents who want to contribute to conversations about the future of local schools. 

"We're asking the community for their assistance in this," he said. "We're hoping that people will come to the table with ideas, with open minds, and a willingness to learn and engage in conversation." 

He added that the committees offer an opportunity for residents to help shape district policies and priorities rather than simply commenting from the sidelines. 

"If you have a desire to take a look at health and wellness for students, the Wellness Committee is for you," Shannon said. "If you have a passion for looking at opportunities available to high school students, then the High School Learning Options Committee is for you." 

The district has not yet finalized how committee members will be selected or how frequently the groups will meet, Shannon said. Committee members will help establish meeting norms and determine the scope of their work once formed. 

Applications for the High School Learning Options Committee are due Monday. Applications for the Wellness Committee must be submitted by Oct. 16. 

Shannon encouraged anyone interested to apply. 

"If you're even kind of thinking about it, you should consider it," he said. "It is these kinds of committees and this level of engagement that gives the community an opportunity to really move the needle, especially when it comes to education here in the district."