Schools can shape political conversations among Butler County youth
The 2024 election will be the first for many young adults in the county. As they cast their ballots, they will need to consider how local and national issues impact their lives and their communities.
That is no small task considering the deluge of political information via advertising, traditional media and social media platforms — a significant political trend, according to Brad Pflugh, social studies department chairman at Knoch High School.
“Students are clearly aware of politics and the election,” Pflugh said. “There’s no way to get around it.”
That media content can have a positive impact on new and soon-to-be voters, according to Slippery Rock superintendent Alfonso Angelucci.
“With social media access, our students are more informed than in years past,” he said. “Teaching civics in an election year always generates more interest and engagement for students. There tends to be more discussion and interest as a result.”
The state Department of Education requires school districts to test students’ knowledge of the U.S. government, the nation’s founding documents and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Some Butler County schools infuse civics content in social studies or history classes, while others offer one or more dedicated classes. Some provide an Advanced Placement option for college credit.
“We teach civics, not politics,” Butler Area School District superintendent Brian White said. “We don’t discuss who students might vote for or any particular candidates. Instead, critical thinking is our core mission, so our democracy can thrive.”
As political rhetoric becomes increasingly intense at the national level and the county’s youth indicate a growing interest in registering as independent voters, they may be trending toward another new practice: constructive, fact-based dialogue.
It’s a trend worth pursuing, according to Jerrod Markle, a social studies teacher at Moniteau Junior/Senior High School, where his students take an analytical approach to civics and the election.
“I’m trying to get students interested and engaged and to understand how to share varied opinions,” he said. “Students do and present research on political parties. We discuss current events such as political debates. We debrief.”
Schools should foster an environment that is open to political viewpoints and respectful political discourse, according to Susan M. Miller, Slippery Rock Area School District assistant superintendent.
“We are very blessed in our district,” she said. “Our students and staff work hard to create a safe environment that is focused on learning and respectful of others.”
Participation in political, debate and mock trial clubs is a renewed trend among Butler County students in several school districts and in the community.
The YMCA’s Youth and Government program works hand-in-hand with Butler County schools to spark students’ political interests, nurture skills and promote engagement, according to Robin Abel, program director at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township.
“Young people are growing up in a unique political atmosphere, so politics is different to them than the generation before,” she said. “It’s interesting to watch them grow in our program.”
Coming from the southwestern part of the county, Abel’s students reported different political preferences than students from the northeast. Sixty-six percent of surveyed students intend to register as Democrats, 11% as Republicans and 22% as independents — confirming a possible trend toward an independent political stance among the county’s youth.
Lauren Lemmon Hoffman, a social studies teacher at Knoch High School, advises 40 students in her Youth and Government chapter. She says new media exposure and constructive debate are trends for her students as well.
“I would say that while my students like to refer to content on Instagram Reels or TikTok, as is a trend for their generation, the (Youth and Government) students definitely take the time to inform themselves by consulting multiple resources across the political spectrum,” she said. “Since their arguments must be rooted in fact, they are used to researching and providing detailed information from reputable sources.”
Many Butler County students may have adopted this trend toward civil discourse, according to several school officials in the county, who report low levels of political tension among students — though the cause of that shift may be complicated.
“In the last couple of elections, students were fired up,” Knoch’s Pflugh said. “Now, they are quiet. No clothing — T-shirts, hats — or talk about the border. It’s almost like information overload, like there’s so much in the media that they need to get away, at least in school.”
Butler’s superintendent sees a similar pattern.
“I remember when McCain and Obama were running in 2008. Kids wore more political gear in that campaign than this year,” White said. “Now, you don’t see a lot. Why? Perhaps because social media is where the campaigning is taking place.”
Moniteau’s Markle has high hopes when it comes to trends among future voters in all regions of Butler County.
“I want to see a trend where students understand that civic participation isn’t just about voting,” he said. “We also want to develop political efficacies in between elections, to pay attention, hold government accountable. My hope is that they are constantly engaged so society can prosper.”
