Westside students showcase state championships, arts and academic gains at LSIC meeting

Westside High School students and staff presented a student-centered Local School Improvement Council update to the Wyoming County Board of Education, highlighting recent state-level championships in cheer and theater, expanded arts and athletics programming, and measurable academic gains.

Senior class president Allison Plumbley told the board the school recorded multiple state and regional appearances this year and celebrated the cheer squad’s DA state championship. Emma Indicott and theater director Jason Morgan described a state-bound theater production. Student Lily McCoy and band members summarized a strong marching-band season and first-place finishes at regional competitions.

Students also described Renegade Time, a new block of weekly periods restructured for high-dosage tutoring and social-emotional learning. Charisma West, the school’s communities-and-schools facilitator, said Renegade Time pairs focused English and math instruction with community-building exercises and growth-mindset activities. Ninth-grade students led a brief classroom demonstration showing how the program teaches students to separate what is within their control from what is not.

Student speakers credited PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) and mentoring for helping attendance and engagement. Assistant principal Amanda Kennedy outlined interventions now in place: tardy protocols tied to morning announcements, a standardized tardy threshold across teachers, targeted parent outreach and weekly attendance strategy meetings. Kennedy and others cited a net two‑year proficiency gain for ninth- and 10th-graders and rising SAT/PSAT performance as evidence the combination of tutoring, mentoring and PBIS is working.

Administrators described targeted academic strategies: one-on-one mentor meetings, groups of 10 for academic planning, and expanded after-school tutoring and high-dosage tutoring for ninth and 10th graders. Jackson Walker, a student presenter, noted the senior class produced 11 Promise Scholars and several students have been selected for state honors programs.

Board members praised the student presentations and asked administrators to continue monitoring outcomes and sharing results at future LSIC meetings. The superintendent and principal said adoption of one-credit personal-finance requirements and continued PBIS implementation are expected to reinforce academic and life-skills preparation.

Speakers (first reference): Allison Plumbley, senior class president; Emma Indicott, junior and arts presenter; Jackson Walker, student; Charisma West, communities and schools facilitator; Amanda Kennedy, assistant principal; Jason Morgan, theater director.

Next steps: Board members encouraged ongoing reporting on Renegade Time and PBIS metrics and confirmed the district will continue to support summer and after-school tutoring initiatives.