A group of Mid-Prairie High School students and teachers were given the opportunity to tell the school board about life at the school at Monday’s board meeting.

Principal Jay Strickland said that he asked the students and teachers to present a realistic view of the school.

“I wanted them to talk about what they would change,” Strickland said. “I don’t want this to be kind of a fluffy here’s what we do and everyone’s awesome thing. I try to be pretty realistic about the high school. I think we do a great job out there, but I also think we can get better.”

Many of the speakers touched on positive relationships between students and teachers.

“At Mid-Prarie, I’m proud to have the connection between teachers and students,” sophomore Tyler Helmuth said. “It’s a relationship not a lot of people have.”

Senior Abby Frantz said, “The staff and student relationships are unmatchable. With everything that happened this last year, I felt like the staff was very involved with trying to help us and help each other.”

Junior Karsen Jehle added, “I’m proud of our culture and our teacher and student connections.”

They also spoke highly of support from both inside and outside the school.

“Support of school activities from sports student sections to musicals and dramas shows that the staff and students actually care and that the community cares,” Helmuth said. “I would not change how kind our classmates, staff and community are.”

Special education teacher Traci Zahradnek said, “One thing is I feel like we’re really supported in the building in terms of taking risks and trying new things. People come to us with ideas for new things. I feel like all kids are included no matter their ability.”

Jehle said that she does not see any real cliques at the school.

“We get along with each other, and we’re all supportive of each others’ events,” she said.

Freshman Halli Hersberger said she appreciates the friendliness at the school.

“That’s a big thing going into high school because I was really scared,” Hershberger said.

Family and consumer science teacher Sarah O’Rourke pointed out the school’s “student-centered focus.”

“If we ever have a question about what we’re doing, we always just say ‘Is this serving the student?’” O’Rourke said. “I feel like this keeps us grounded.”

She added that she appreciates the support she receives from the administration, pointing out that colleagues from other schools do not always feel the same type of support.

Science teacher Shawna Sieren said she would not change the wide array of advanced placement and college courses offered at the school.

“In offering those courses, we’re keeping our students in the building,” Sieren said.

The group also chimed in on what changes they would like to see at the school.

Helmuth said he sometimes hears complaining from other students.

“Some people come to school and don’t really care, and that’s disrupting the class in general,” he said. “It’s not having respect for teachers.”

Hershberger would like to see better study habits taught.

“Before we go into high school, I would like to see more teaching of good study habits to younger kids,” she said. “That’s been a struggle for our grade especially.”

Sieren said that the disciplinary system needs more teeth.

“Our detention and discipline system doesn’t always carry much weight with the students,” she said. “As a teacher trying to discipline, they students don’t see the value in it because they’re not being held accountable. “

Frantz touched on the same subject, saying that some students know which teachers are easy to take advantage of.

Zahradnek talked about space issues at the school.

“Sometimes, I feel like the space we have isn’t always functional for what we want to do with that,” she said.

O’Rourke challenged the school board members to visit classrooms.

“I’d like for you to come into our classrooms and see what’s going on,” she said.