Park is launching a new initiative to include student voices directly in district decisions by introducing Student School Board Representatives. The program invites high school students to apply for the opportunity to meet with board members and administrators, advocate for equality and collaborate on district goals. Selected students will earn internship credit and represent their peers in shaping the future of Park. Students can submit their applications up to Nov. 21.
Junior Amy Wolden said she’s glad to see the district opening up opportunities for students to be heard. She said this change could help bridge the gap between student experiences and school board decisions.
“This is a great step for Park,” Wolden said. “It’s important we have a voice in things happening at our school. I just hope the board listens to what the student representatives share, because it’s easy for our perspectives to go unnoticed a lot just because we’re younger.”
French teacher Jenny Puzzo said there are many major responsibilities for student school board representatives. According to Puzzo, there are certain discussions that take place at the administrative level that students shouldn’t be aware of.
“It’s essential to have student input, considering that our goal at Park is to center the student experience, and having their input and role and value in decision making is important,” Puzzo said. “However, there are some things that the school board deals with that involve confidential information, in which case a student may not necessarily be the right audience.”
Sophomore Saeda Kroger said it’s crucial to incorporate diverse and young perspectives, not just ones from administrators, when making decisions that impact the student body.
“It’s really important for students to be involved in the school board because it allows for multiple perspectives to be shown, not only administration and staff,” Kroger said. “It allows a younger and more firsthand experience to be heard in a space as important as the school board.”
Wolden said student representatives could help highlight everyday issues that often get overlooked in board discussions.
“I hope that this is the chance for students to bring up things the adults might not notice,” Wolden said.. “Even small stuff, like mental health or the amount of workload, can make a big difference in our experience at school.”
Kroger said she probably wouldn’t consider applying to represent students on the school board, since she personally feels she lacks some of the essential traits that an efficient school board member would have.
“I would most likely not apply to be a student representative because I think it takes somebody with a lot of social courage to be able to debate and talk with that many people,” Kroger said.
Puzzo said many students often express their opinions and concerns to teachers at Park instead. She said these students would be a valuable addition to a decision-making body such as the school board.
“There are so many students who bring concerns to teachers and staff. I think it would be very easy to find students who would be great on the school board,” Puzzo said.
According to Kroger, to be a successful student school board representative, one needs qualities such as being fair-minded and a desire to connect with many different people to represent multiple perspectives.
“A school board representative should be open-minded and willing to communicate and argue respectfully with people that they don’t necessarily talk to or agree with in order to get a variety of voices,” Kroger said.
According to Wolden, while she might not apply herself, she appreciates that other students will have the opportunity to represent their peers. She said having students on the board will help make decisions feel more relatable and student-focused.
“I probably wouldn’t apply, but I think it’s awesome that other students will,” said Wolden. “Not everyone feels comfortable doing that, but it’s good that the opportunity is there, so the decisions will probably be more for the students than anything else.”
