Jaylen (High School Student)

Archetype Label

Stakeholder Without a Vote

Demographic Summary

16, junior at South Portland High School. Active in theater and runs cross-country. Considering AP courses for senior year. Politically aware — follows local news on Instagram and TikTok, has opinions about school policy, has spoken at a board meeting once (about proposed cuts to the arts). Knows the budget affects him directly but has no vote on the referendum and no formal role in the process.

Goals and Motivations

• Understand whether the programs he cares about (theater, AP offerings, athletics) are on the chopping block
• Have enough command of the facts to speak credibly at a board meeting or in a school newspaper piece
• Feel like his perspective as an actual student — the person the budget is supposedly for — is visible in the process
• Know what the budget means for his senior year specifically: will the classes he’s planning on exist?

Frustrations and Pain Points

• The budget is discussed in categories (instruction, support services, administration) that don’t map to anything he experiences — he wants to know about theater, not “object code 1100”
• When adults talk about “cuts,” he can’t tell whether they mean his school or somewhere else
• Nobody explains to students what’s being proposed until it’s already decided
• He’s told the budget is “about the kids” but the process excludes kids entirely
• The school newspaper wants to cover the budget but can’t get straight answers about what’s actually changing at SPHS

Behavioral Patterns

• Gets budget news through his parents, Instagram, and word of mouth from friends — never from official district channels
• When something affects a program he’s in, he digs in: reads what he can find, asks his teachers, talks to other students
• Has testified at one board meeting; found it empowering but also felt like the board wasn’t really listening
• Would share a well-made explainer on social media if it was relevant and not condescending
• Talks to his cross-country coach about staffing rumors — the coach is often a better source than official communications

Context of Use

Phone-first, always. Gets information through social media, group chats, and face-to-face conversation. Would never read a budget document unprompted, but would read a one-page summary framed around “what this means for SPHS students.” Responds to visual and narrative formats — a chart showing which programs are gaining or losing funding would reach him in a way a table of line items never would. Shares content that feels authentic and relevant; ignores anything that feels like it was made for adults and repurposed for students.

Lifecycle