Don Antonio Lugo students were offered the chance to influence the very campus you and I walk in. The best of our student body were offered to attend this once in a lifetime opportunity. to have their voices heard, and they’re grievances fixed. This was an opportunity given to these leading students to truly make a change in our school as we know it. The Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, is a program that pays for a large majority of DAL’s programs. From our GATE program, Youth Music program, and career pathways with certificates along with many more services they pay for California school districts. An event being hosted every three years where selected students will rally together to brainstorm and bring to light how a school may be lacking in education quality or other mishaps. This is what our fortunate few will be attending, seeking to make even the smallest of DAL’s voices heard.

A cast total of twenty five through thirty students were selected to be apart of the voting body. From academic prodigies, our top class leaders in clubs, and some of our more average students. Everyone here deserves to be here, plenty aware of every student’s complaints and are ready to make every single one heard. I was able to interview one student in regards on how he felt towards being apart of the LCAP, stating he was slightly pressured from the huge responsibility he carries on his shoulders, but was more than excited to be apart of something greater than himself. Every student present was aware that one of themselves present at the LCAP represented around thirty students outside of the event. Even with this daunting burden, our students kept cool level headed composure as they made every single one of the grievances this school has clear. These representatives know exactly where they need to be, sitting in a room discussing the largest problems this school has fundamentally.

Now for the much more interesting topics, what did the students talk about. The LCAP presenter asked many questions, in regards of the school’s program quality, structural integrity, and general quality of life inside the campus. A large problem that was unanimously accepted was that the school’s restroom facilities were extremely subpar or of poor quality. The loss of quality could be attributed to general wear over time, but could mostly be sourced to student’s stealing soap dispensers, cracking glass or carving into it, and damaged toilets that haven’t seen repairs. It was important that these necessary repairs were brought to light and made first priority. A more essential piece of area was also in need of repairs, the indoor basketball court inside the gym. The wood had grown slippery, risking players into losing traction on the surface and causing injuries. The floorboards needed replacing, if our players needed the best place to practice atop of. Not ending here yet with the gymnasium, the locker room also needed a remodeling. Both female and male locker rooms have grown worn out, with slippery tiling, destroyed lockers, and inadequate space to change. Creating an uncomfortable place for not only our player’s, but including students apart of the P.E class.

Moving from our gym, we take a look across the campus to our Future Farmers of America, or FFA, grounds. Where our students partake in taking care of livestock, horse riding and care, along with learning general agriculture in our farm. Yet even this place is littered with faults, students pointing out the outhouses have damaged lights, leaving students in the dark when they are made to stay after school to care for the animals. This is a major hazard to our students as they cannot work properly in the dark, risking harm or loss of animals if they so happen to escape. The general condition is also poor for the outhouses, with damaged fences and other moving parts such as doors and gates. Our FFA students need the best quality outhouses so they can get the opportunity to raise their animals to maturity. Including the outhouses, several animal pens are of deteriorating condition such as pig pens and the chicken coops. All students agreeing, especially apart of the FFA program.

There is a few more final issues that students had to address once the more expressing issues were brought to light and accounted for. Advertisement for our special programs and classes such as Engineering, Digital Photo, Construction, along with plenty other fun electives are all but ignored compared to our sports department. The atrophy in student count in these classes is significant, and the need for more attention to these classes is desperately wanted. More specific tutors were brought up as students were having harder times trying to find proper tutors they needed help in, more specifically in the higher tier AP and Honors classes. More renovations to the quad was brushed upon, as the terrain wasn’t the most pleasant to travel on in the campus.

With our voices heard, it is all now down on what the LCAP organizers to decide which issues need the most attention and be fixed accordingly. Hopefully they will do so in a timely manner, for improvements is what keeps a school afloat.