District 230 Schools Add Students to Board of Education Committees

Students from across Consolidated High School 230 will be adding their voices to Board of Education committee meetings. Specifically, three students from each school will be assigned to each Board of Education Committees - Education, Student Services and Building & Finance.

For the past several years there has been growing momentum to include student voice in the district decision-making process. These newest committee appointments are in addition to already existing Student Representatives to the Board, as well as the Superintendent Student Advisory Committees at each school. “Although student committee members cannot actually be voting members of the committee, students will be able to hear about and provide feedback to the policies and initiatives that are going through the Board,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Nolting.

Board Committees are composed of community members, School Board members, staff and administration, and now students. Each member serves an important role in providing insight and expertise regarding topics being considered by the full Board.

Congratulations to the following student committee members:

Cassandra Marquez Senior Andrew High School Education Committee
Yazmyn Orr-Jones Senior Andrew High School Student Services Committee
Zakary Cruz Senior Andrew High School Building & Finance Committee
Adunolaoluwa Ogedengbe Junior Carl Sandburg High School Student Services Committee
Zach Barrett Senior Carl Sandburg High School Building & Finance Committee
Andrea Acosta Senior Carl Sandburg High School Education Committee
Jennah Kittana Junior Amos Alonzo High School Education Committee
Natalia Mazurek Senior Amos Alonzo High School Student Services Committee
Prisha Patel Senior Amos Alonzo High School Building & Finance Committee

The idea of student committee members surfaced from Sandburg junior Adunolaoluwa Ogedengbe. “In an effort to take student advocacy a bit further and to provide administrators with student perspectives on making decisions that ultimately impacted one group of people the most–students, I pitched the idea of student committee members to Superintendent Nolting last spring,” Ogedengbe said.

Intrigued, Dr. Nolting requested a more detailed plan. Over the summer, Ogedengbe researched and analyzed the idea and presented a 3-page plan to Dr. Nolting in the fall. Within a matter of weeks, Dr. Nolting confirmed that the Board was open to the idea of instituting these new positions.

Ogedengbe said, “I was beyond excited to hear the incredible news. The idea that had once been a flicker of inspiration had now become a blazing fire of purpose, driving me forward in my mission to advocate for my fellow peers.”

The student representatives will serve as bridges between the student body and the Board, keeping students informed about matters and building a stronger sense of trust and a clear line of communication.

Stagg student Jennah Kittana says, “Since 8th grade, I have been involved with the community, whether it be outside groups like the HANA Center in Chicago and the Arab American Action Network or volunteering. I come from a diverse background as I am Palestinian and Filipina, which allows me to be more open-minded and contribute diverse opinions. Overall, I would love to work with other students and administration to better the district in any way I can!”

Sandburg student Zach Barrett said, “Any decision that I will make would only be in the best interest of propelling Sandburg into the spotlight and making it the gem of the southwest suburbs. Leadership and volunteerism are two of my greatest skills and I will use them to help motivate other members of the committees to achieve our goals and tasks. I believe that I would make a lasting positive impact on the Building and Finance Committee for years to come.”

“It will be important to make all committee members, especially our new student members, feel safe, trusted, respected, and that their voice matters. They are speaking for students and that takes courage to advocate for equitable education that all students deserve,” said Melissa Gracia, president of the District 230 Board of Education.