Liberty first opened its doors in 2017, and is now finishing out its fifth year as a highschool in the ICCSD. It is common for newer schools to have many struggles as well as much room for improvement in the years after they open, and Liberty is no exception. Liberty’s large array of staff members work very hard to make the school a safe place for everyone and a place where students can feel comfortable, but it’s inevitable that some students don’t quite recognize Liberty in that way. Many students find themselves wanting change within the school, even if they don’t bring it to the attention of Liberty faculty.

Rosie Terry, sophomore, shared one thing she wishes Liberty would do differently.

“I wish we had more Liberty times. I feel like they’re really useful for students and a lot of students aren’t able to come to school before or after for help because of outside activities. I also think they benefit a lot of students who may be struggling or behind in classes. It doesn’t hurt anyone to add more Liberty times but it did affect students when that extra Liberty time was removed from this trimester to last.”

Terry also shared why she thinks that this is something that Liberty is hesitant to change.

“Probably the administration does not want students to rely too heavily on it but since we already have two Liberty times a week, I don’t really see an issue with adding another one. Not every student has a study hall or free time and they have outside lives and if we had additional Liberty times, they could get their work done at school and not have to worry about it.”

Jordyn Smith, junior, had a different perspective from Terry.

“I would change how they [administration] spend school funds. I feel like they’ve spent a lot of money on our building and lockers but I’ve seen many times where third lunch doesn’t have as much or the same food as the other periods. Also I think certain departments have received more funding than others and I think all the programs and sports should receive the same amount. They’ve already invested in the building and stuff so there’s not really a way to undo it but in the future, I think they should focus more on the students,” she said.

Liberty student’s aren’t the only ones thinking of things that Liberty could do better. Jennifer Saylor, art, shared what she wishes would be different at Liberty.

“I wish more kids felt like they could take part in extracurricular activities,” she said. “I feel like they’re are some barriers with kids. Some of it is feeling like somehow it [extracurriculars] isn’t for them. They don’t feel like a part of it enough where they could go out for certain things. I know that there’s also students who cant participate because they have to have a job but I wish everyone felt like they can have some space where they belong.”

Most Liberty students and staff members take pride in the school and the achievements we have. Over the past five years, the school as a whole has accomplished a lot and honestly, no one could have guessed how far we’ve come. In the future, the school looks forward to continuing to grow and make these changes that teachers and students suggest to better the school as a community.