Project Parkway is a program that began in 2009 to incorporate student opinions in district level decisions. Four meetings are held annually whereby Parkway Administration discusses a topic they deem a priority. However, not all high school students feel as though the meetings are incorporating student opinions.

During the September meeting, the new Spark! program was discussed.

 “It seemed more of like a promotional event for Spark! rather than a place where students could voice their opinions,” junior Joan Tao said.

The original agenda also called for a discussion on Intruder Training, but was completely cut from the meeting due to lack of time from extended talk on Spark!. Additional interactive events were planned for later in the evening, however, most students leave because they have homework or extra curricular activities.Keeping in mind that most high school students have a busy schedule. The meetings need to be designed in a way where more than one topic is discussed in the first hour, utilizing the entire time properly.

“They need to make sure the conversation moves on. We were focused on one idea for a good majority of the time,” Tao said

The topics  discussed  are decided by the Superintendent’s Action Team (SAT) based upon what they think is the most important topics of the district at that point of time. But why are the students not allowed to choose the topics when the basis of the program is to get student’s input?

The meetings have been organized in a library or a cafeteria, which makes it difficult for the students to have a conversation where everyone contributes because of the spread out format. In addition, students are grouped by school rather than intermixing with other Parkway students.

“We should be closer [together] in a room that doesn’t echo as much as a cafeteria so it is easier to hear. If it was an area where we faced each other then it would be easier to get involved,” Ayers said.

While the goal of Project Parkway is to incorporate student opinions, students feel that their voices are rarely heard.

“‘I appreciate Parkway’s effort to involve us in what’s happening exactly. Maybe it’d be best to make the meetings more interactive with the other members, as I have no clue who most of them are,” Tao said.