My name is Anna and I am a senior at Mifflin County High School.  Ever since I started my education I have been a student of the Mifflin County School District, so I have seen many of the district’s ups and downs. But I didn’t notice too many serious issues until my sophomore year at MCHS. I am here to share my experiences, as well as my peers' experiences, that show this school needs change. My senior year isn't even halfway over and I and my family have already dealt with sexism, racism, targeting, disrespect from the staff, and indifference to our health and safety. I am very sure other students and families have experienced this as well. To start with, my sophomore and junior year I was disrespected by teachers and got no support from anyone. I felt like I couldn't talk to any of my teachers. I sat in the guidance office multiple times, crying from stress and receiving no guidance or ways to improve my school days. It wasn't until I threatened to leave halfway through my junior year that they offered me the alpha program, which I declined and I left for the remainder of the school year. I have been told by multiple people that they had experienced this as well with teachers and guidance counselors. We students wish the teachers and staff would at least try to show they care. I came back my senior year so I could graduate from where I started my educational journey. I came back hoping things had changed and the system and staff were better. My hopes were let down; things have only gotten worse. To start the year off right: sexism from the principal. One example: targeting people with the dress code, specifically females, when what they were wearing was actually ok.  I understand a limit to what you can wear in a public school but constantly going after the same people when they are wearing appropriate clothing isn't right. We female students also had an issue with putting feminine products in the bathrooms. It’s helpful to have these available especially for those who may not be able to afford them all the time. Students have brought up the matter to the office staff including the principal who said it "offended" him and that it was not in the school’s budget. I’m not sure how women having a menstrual cycle and needing feminine products offends a male. Not to mention the school isn't even funding them, the students themselves have bought them. We are still working on this issue to try to make it happen.  

Moving on to the next issue:  Racism. There was a recent issue that took way too long to deal with, and still wasn’t dealt with. A student was causing issues at the Academy, which is associated and works with the high school. She was bullying and threatening kids and targeting certain students. She also got her mother to call my sister racial slurs (this happened during school hours). The matter was brought to the staff at both the high school and the Academy.  The high school said it wasn't their problem and decided to ignore the situation by giving both students a day of ISS and forgetting the situation happened. Ignoring situations like this makes us feel unsafe and like we can't have serious issues solved even when matters are brought to adults. The school police officer told my sister to “put the situation behind you because basketball tryouts are coming", assuming she played basketball because of her skin color.  As to the disrespect from the staff, I have had issues more than once with the secretary in the guidance office. She has been very rude to me, my mother, and other students as well. She laughed in my face when I told her who my sister was because we are different skin colors. She also has a really bad attitude when asked questions, offers no help and is just rude overall. The amount of disrespect and attitude I have received from her is unacceptable.  We emailed the school about it only to be ignored once again. Regarding the indifference to our mental health, our opinions, and student safety, we feel there is no adult in the school who is there for us. This year, the school emphasized to the public about dealing with mental health issues but when it really comes down to it, they do nothing. They also say they don’t tolerate bullying, but do nothing about it.  

We as a student body would appreciate it if they took our opinions into consideration. Recently the principal decided to move prom back to the high school. Students, including me, are not happy about this.  Prom is one of those memorable things in high school, and having prom in the school where negative vibes are given off isn't very memorable, at least not in a good way. We fund the prom by buying tickets and paying senior dues, therefore it should be our choice where to have it. When discussing the prom situation the principal said he did not care what his students wanted or thought. He has made it clear he doesn't care about his students or what we want. We ARE the school, so our opinions should matter. Speaking of the principal, I have not seen him interact or engage with the students or get to know them in any way. As the leader of the school you should want to know what your students are interested in and what could be done better for the school and students. These aren't all the issues but we have to start somewhere. I appreciate the teachers who have engaged with the students, supported our opinions and have been there for us. It doesn’t matter if these changes are made this year or next year after we, the seniors, are gone but it needs to be done.  It is time for a change.   

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Changes we would like to see:

A new principal and staff, or a change in attitude of the current principal and staff
Students make more choices for prom, homecoming, sports etc.
More student-run clubs
More school activities to bond the students and staff
More staff engagement with the students
A better and safer environment for students
Prom to be held at a venue outside the high school
More fair opportunities for students, for example including students in clubs, activities etc.