LTHS Board Of Ed Selects First Student Board Members

LOCKPORT, IL — Two LTHS student leaders were officially seated to serve as the first-ever student representatives for the LTHS Board of Education on Monday, according to a release from the District. Two student leaders were also seated to serve on the Board's curriculum, and the finance and facilities committees.

The student board members will represent their classmates at the monthly Board of Education meetings, the District said. While the student board members won't vote, they will provide insights on life as a student at LTHS.

“As a Board, every decision we make affects our students in some manner, yet they seldom have a say in those decisions. We are always asking ourselves - 'How does this impact our students or how do the students feel about this?' We wanted connectivity to students. I wanted a liaison between all LTHS students and the school board. We wanted them to represent their peers' interests,” Ann Lopez-Caneva, LTHS D205 Board President said in a release.

The Board began discussing student voice at the board level about a year ago, the District said. During the annual Triple I Conference, several Board members attended sessions detailing the role of student board members on boards of education in Illinois.

The Board did policy work in December to create the student positions, and the superintendent researched and outlined a selection process that would start after the April elections. In May, Superintendent Robert Mcbride presented the Board with an application process and selection timeline, the District said. The Board approved this process and timeline.

In May, 53 students applied for the position of student board member. In June, all applications were reviewed, and 12 finalists were identified for interviews with the Board.

After interviews, the Board selected senior Chelsea Osei and senior Victoria DalPonte for the role.

The Board of Education also approved senior Akash Patel for the role of Student Board Member on the Board's Finance and Facilities Committee and McKenna Orrico for the role of Student Board Member on the Board's Curriculum Committee, the District said.

"I am proud and impressed that our Board of Education has put student voices at the table for all of their meetings. It is a vocal and visible reminder that we are here to serve students and understanding their perspectives is critical to the best decision-making,” said McBride in a release.

“I am so honored and grateful to be in this position, but most importantly have the ability to represent an amazing district. As a young, first generation, Ghanaian-American Women, I plan to enter this position with compassion and respect for the different communities in Lockport and find ways to learn and bridge more communities together,” said Chelsea Osei.

“This opportunity gives me the chance to voice our students’ needs and to keep them informed on decisions that affect them daily. LTHS is very unique when it comes to readiness after graduation. We have paths for everyone, and I think that it is important that students know that regardless of wanting to pursue higher education, they have tools at LTHS to prepare for their future," Victoria DalPonte said in a release. "A more personal goal for me is the improvement of the CCC and Academy at Lockport Central. Our students need more space and opportunities to be included, just as our Special Education students at East Campus have."

Many applicants who were not selected for the Student Board position were invited to serve in the Superintendent Student Advisory Council for leadership positions, according to the District.