Emma Dietz
The School Board passed a new policy regarding the treatment of deaths in the district at its meeting Jan. 11. Though this policy directly impacts the mourning activities of students, the School Board didn’t consult students.

We are deeply concerned the administration never recruited students to participate in this process of composing the policy. Without student involvement, we believe it is impossible to consider the policy a reflection of our perspectives on the memorial policy.

The School Board’s decisions must have involvement by the student body, especially when they affect us as directly as this policy does.

It is the administration’s responsibility to ensure students know when the School Board meetings take place. The importance of attending these meetings increases when discussions involves issues such as the memorial policy.

The School Board will soon begin work on a gender identity policy for the district. It is crucial students have the opportunity to give input on the policy.

Without this, it is unlikely the policy will reflect the ideas of the student body, inevitably leading it to fail the students it seeks to serve. The policy can, however, address the issue of gender identity acceptance in our school if students are invited to participate in the policy’s creation.

As of now, students do not have easy access to information regarding School Board meetings. To improve communication to students about these meetings, the School Board should request information be included in school-day announcements or on bulletins around the school.

However, as much as it is the administration’s responsibility to actively involve students, it is equally as much students’ responsibility to demand they be involved in these agreements.

When we fail to involve ourselves in district rulings that impact us, we give up our valuable right to direct these decisions in the way we prefer.

We, as students, are the only people who can represent our opinions on subjects discussed in School Board meetings.

Our involvement must include attending these meetings, educating ourselves on the issues discussed and, once old enough, voting in School Board elections to ensure those governing our district represent our best wishes.

The path to creating a more productive relationship between the School Board and students in order to guarantee our involvement in these decisions begins with both sides committing themselves to communication and collaboration.

We must accept and defend each other’s rights and remember to exercise our own. Through this, we can be more successful in bringing policies to our district that more accurately reflect our positions on important issues.