Community survey gathers city feedback including MHS students

Brianna Carmack, Editor-in-Chief

Manhattan High School students now have a chance to give student input in a new community survey. 

“We did a bunch of engagement sessions with the community as a whole last week,” junior counselor Dustin Duntz said, “and now they’re just trying to gather information from students who didn’t have any high school students attend those meetings. So, they’re trying to gather information from students about their dreams for the future and what they want to look like in the future.”

In the past, the five city commissioners who are elected make decisions about spending in programs on their own without much feedback from the city. However this year, the city as a whole is being asked to give some input on what they want for the future of Manhattan. A separate survey has been made that includes asking high school students what their top priorities are for the better of Manhattan High School.

“We’re trying to gather information from everyone in the city together and then come back and say ‘well what are our priorities’ and get that all lined out and then give that to the City Commission to guide their decision in making the future,” Duntz said. “Part of that process is this survey that they’ve created for high school students to figure out what is important to them.”

The survey allows people in the community — including high school students — to come up with potential decisions city commissioners could make. Even Duntz is thrilled that he has this opportunity.

“It’s pretty cool that we’re trying to get everybody involved including high school students to make decisions about what Manhattan looks like 10 to 15 years in the future,” Duntz said. “At least for me being involved in that committee, the thought is that it’d be pretty cool to tell my kids or or grandkids someday that ‘hey this exists in Manhattan now because I was on this committee.’”