Rye Dilley, who will enter eighth grade this fall, serves as managing editor of ‘Your Battle Ground Public Schools,’ a digital magazine published twice each school year with support from the district’s communications department

Cade Barker
The Reflector Newspaper

By turning a passion for local history, journalism and graphic design into action, Tukes Valley Middle School student Rye Dilley has transformed school district news into an official student publication.

Dilley, who will enter eighth grade this fall, serves as managing editor of “Your Battle Ground Public Schools,” a digital magazine published twice each school year with support from the district’s communications department.

Dilley said an interest in local history, storytelling and journalism inspired the project.

“I have gone to school in Battle Ground Public Schools my whole academic career,” Dilley said. “Over that time … I’ve developed a care for our district and an enjoyment of this community, and that has paired with just a personal love of history, and especially local history.”

That interest was reinforced by reading The Reflector while growing up and teaching himself graphic design, he said.

The publication was formed after Dilley discovered archived copies of a former district newspaper and proposed reviving the concept with a modern, student-driven approach. The findings sparked the idea to revive the publication with a student focus, and a format students could realistically produce.

Working with district staff and an adviser, Dilley recruited a team of about a dozen students from several schools. Together, they assembled the inaugural 30-page magazine in less than six weeks, he said.

“Before the district could really check in to see our progress, we were basically done,” Dilley said.

Since then, the publication has evolved into a smaller editorial operation. Dilley now works closely with Associate Editor Paisley Dunn to plan each issue, develop story ideas and oversee the magazine’s design before it receives final review from the district.

After hearing feedback that earlier editions focused too heavily on district administration, the editorial team shifted its attention toward student achievements and school life.

“Comments we had heard from teachers and family members who read issue two is that it was too focused on the district office and not focused enough on student stories, which is something that I agreed with,” Dilley said, adding that the spring edition to close the 2025-2026 school year shares more about student life. “I believe that aside from one story about Battle Ground Virtual Academy’s new facility, this entire publication is full of stories about student success and student involvement, which I’m very proud of.”

The news magazine is largely produced outside the classroom. Although Dilley originally worked on the project through a yearbook class, the publication now comes together after school and at home, where story planning, writing and page design take place.

“My room has sort of become my editorial studio in a sense,” Dilley said. “I spend a lot of time reading stories, writing and just coming up with ideas here.”

Dilley also sees the publication as part of a broader resurgence of student journalism in Battle Ground. Alongside student publications at Battle Ground and Prairie high schools and at the Center for Agricultural Science and Environmental Education, the news magazine provides an additional outlet for young storytellers despite the decline of many print publications.

The experience has also expanded Dilley’s own career aspirations. While teaching history has long been the goal, producing the magazine has introduced journalism as another possible path.

“This project has really opened my eyes to how interested I am in journalism, and how much I really love telling the stories of others,” Dilley said. “I really like telling positive stories. And while I’m not afraid to cover less positive stories, I do really enjoy defining the positive stories of my peers and fellow students and telling that.”

For now, Dilley hopes to continue publishing the magazine for as long as possible while becoming involved in high school journalism programs in the years ahead.

To read the latest edition and others, visit battlegroundps.org/page/student-publications.

This report was first published by The Reflector Newspaper. Cade Barker can be reached at cade@thereflector.com