SK School Board, Student Circle of Champions discuss priorities

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The South Kitsap School Board held its study session at South Kitsap High School, where board members met with representatives from the Student Circle of Champions to discuss student priorities and ideas to improve the school experience Nov. 6.

Students discussed four main topics: academic choice, empowering student action, studying opportunities and school communication. A fifth topic — creating safe spaces — was also highlighted.

Under academic choice, students proposed mastery-based learning, which would allow incoming high school students to take a test and potentially skip grade levels in English or math if they demonstrate mastery, while still receiving high school credit. Students also expressed interest in more real-world lessons within core classes, including budgeting.

In the student action group, participants emphasized expanding clubs and making club information easier to access. Student representative Lara Barnett suggested adding a QR code system around the school that links to a catalog-style list of clubs. She said the information should also be available beyond just the high school and added to a district webpage.

Students in the studying opportunities group discussed wanting a dedicated time built into the school day to catch up on missing work and access academic support, rather than having to do it at home. Students focused on improving school communication said they want to increase awareness of programs and get important information to students more effectively.

The safe spaces group talked about making sure students have open access to places where they feel connected, welcomed and supported. After breakout discussions, each group reconvened to share ideas, outline possible next steps and identify who could help move the projects forward.

Superintendent Tim Winter said the Circle of Champions model has helped bring more student voice to district leadership.

“This is one of the highlights of what we get to do,” Winter told the students. “I was a high school principal for a number of years, and the best thing about that was students.”

Winter said the district previously had two student board representatives, but leadership wanted more direct and consistent student engagement. The board attends a statewide conference every November, and through those talks, the idea for the Circle of Champions was formed, he said.

“We want to continue to grow this group,” Winter said. “They sit in a circle and somebody will say something and you’ll get emotional because you’re just so proud of what they’re saying. The very next student will say something, you’ll get emotional because it’s kind of sad. And that’s really what we’ve been focused on — what is it like to be a high school student in 2025 in South Kitsap?”

Winter said the district hopes the student voice model eventually expands into middle and elementary schools.