Thursday, October 1, 2026
Mental health gaps, school budget cuts and lack of a teen space were at the center of a joint discussion between the Lacey Commission on Equity and Lacey Youth Council.
The 15-member youth council, led by Youth Mayor Dior Trinh, is an advisory board composed of students from Lacey public, private and home schools. Members serve from September through June.
Youth leaders opened the Monday, Feb. 23, joint meeting with a presentation titled, "Lacey Through Our Eyes." The presentation credited the city for its community involvement, cultural diversity and public safety resources.
Youth leaders then pressed commissioners on areas where they said the city has more work to do.
Commissioners and youth council members broke into small groups to work through questions on youth equity, mental health and community belonging. The exchange brought into focus what members flagged as persistent gaps in support the city has yet to close.
Mental health was the most pressing issue across every group. Youth council members said school counselors handle academic matters rather than emotional ones, leaving students without adequate support to manage grades, sports and college decisions amid global uncertainty.
Students rarely bring real concerns to adults, several members said, because they do not expect to be taken seriously.
Commission member Thelma Jackson, reporting back from her group, said many students feel their perspectives do not register with decision-makers.
School budget cuts were also a topic of discussion. Youth council members cited reductions in Running Start credits at South Puget Sound Community College, a statewide program that allows high school juniors and seniors to earn tuition-free college credits.
Some students use the program to complete an associate's degree before graduating high school. Members warned that reductions taking effect in the 2026-27 school year could prevent some students from finishing those degrees.
Advanced Placement courses are also being cut as teacher availability and enrollment decline. Sports programs, members said, are getting by on aging equipment that teams are fundraising to replace.
Youth leaders also raised concerns about how artificial intelligence is being used to evaluate their work.
Detection tools are flagging legitimate assignments as machine-generated, sometimes because of routine punctuation choices like em dashes or semicolons. The result, members said, is grade penalties or zeroes for work students completed on their own.
In terms of social media, council members said adults do not fully grasp what teenagers navigate online. The platforms have value for staying informed and connected, they said, but measuring daily life against everyone else's carefully selected posts takes a steady toll on students.
Participants also discussed potential responses and next steps. The clearest ask from the session was a “teen hub,” a city-supported space for peer discussions, life-skills training, mock interviews and recreational activities.
Jackson noted the city has no comparable facility for teenagers who have aged out of programs like the Boys & Girls Club.
Lacey Equity and Inclusion Program Manager Veronica Hand identified the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions as a free resource for teen workshops on credit, budgeting and savings. She urged the council to incorporate the idea into its upcoming youth summit agenda.
Council members also named homeless youth, disabled youth, non-English speakers, immigrant families and young people struggling with addiction as groups they consider underserved in the city.
Commissioners then pledged to bring the session's themes into the commission's 2026 work plan. Commissioner Clifton Brown said the feedback would go directly to school district representatives.
The Lacey Youth Council is also planning a 2026 Youth Summit themed, "Adulting 101." An initial planning meeting is set for early March.
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