Oak Harbor High sophomore Susie Diamond named student board member

A sophomore at Oak Harbor High School will now sit closer to the decisions that shape class schedules, staff policy and the district budget. Oak Harbor Public Schools named Susie Diamond its new student board member on May 12, giving one more student a voice at the same table where trustees oversee the district’s direction.

The role matters because the Oak Harbor School Board of Directors does more than handle ceremony. The board sets policy, evaluates the superintendent, makes personnel decisions and adopts the annual operating budget for a district that says it serves more than 5,400 students and is the largest school district on Whidbey Island. That is the level where student concerns about school climate, academics, activities, mental health and transportation can move from hallway conversation to district business.

Diamond arrives with a long list of campus commitments already behind her. Oak Harbor Public Schools described her as a three-sport varsity athlete in cross country, flag football and track, as well as class vice president. She also takes part in Core Leadership, Senate and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, and is involved in the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and No Strangers. She volunteers at the Youth Center daycare.

The district said those roles have put her in close contact with other students while planning events, leading assemblies and supporting initiatives meant to build school spirit, student engagement and a stronger sense of belonging. Diamond said those experiences have helped her become a collaborator who values listening, teamwork and finding common ground.

Her selection also came from a competitive pool of applicants, and the district thanked the other students who interviewed for the job. That detail suggests the position is treated as a real leadership assignment, not a symbolic title handed out for appearance.

Oak Harbor is not starting from scratch. The district’s board news shows student representative appointments and swearing-ins in both 2024 and 2025, including Allena Locklear and Gwen Miller. When Miller was sworn in as a student representative in September 2025, the district said she hoped to address mental health support and resources for students in the role.

The district also said the May 12 board meeting included an executive session for student board representative candidate discussion, underscoring that the seat is part of the board’s regular governance process. That fits with a broader state trend: the Washington School Directors Association says almost half of Washington’s 295 school districts have student board representatives, and its Student Representatives Network meets monthly during the school year from September through May.

Oak Harbor has even helped shape that culture. In 2024, the district said a student-led regional leadership conference for student board representatives was the first of its kind in Washington, organized by student leaders from Oak Harbor and Ferndale with district and foundation support. Diamond’s appointment extends that pipeline, giving Oak Harbor students another direct voice in the decisions that residents see play out in classrooms, activities and day-to-day school life.