17-04-2025
Washington High students participate in local Student Government Day
WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — It's wasn't your typical school day for students from Washington Community High School. Instead of sitting in class, students got a taste of what it's like to work in local government during the city's annual Student Government Day.
More than a dozen students spent the day learning how local government works. They took on roles like city administrator, police chief, and even mayor. They started with an orientation at city hall, then toured the departments they were assigned to shadow.
'So we bring the students together so they can learn about how different organizations within the city work together,' said Washington City Clerk Valerie Brod.
Students participated in a mock city council meeting where they tackled a real-world issue: what to do with the Jefferson Street Public Works Building, which caught fire about a year ago. They discussed the pros and cons of whether to abandon, reconstruct or upgrade the building.
'I thought it was pretty interesting. I definitely think that it was the best idea to tear it down and then rebuild it and try to keep some of the historic aspects,' said WCHS sophomore Charlotte Maston, who played the role of city administrator for the day.
Brod said it's a valuable experience for students, especially those interested in a government career.
'So for them to understand the importance of how the city operates so that when they can be an informed voter, when they do vote, I think it's fantastic. It's great to hear their creativity, maybe think outside of the box like solutions that we might not have thought of,' she said.
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