Johnston School Board Close to Adding Student Member

Students would have direct representation on the Johnston school board if a proposal to add a high school as a non-voting member is approved.

The board Monday discussed a policy to add a student board seat starting in September. While the board has discussed the issue previously, this was the first policy reading for the addition.

An eligible student would be entering his or her senior year in the fall.

While the board agreed to allow a student on the board, the discussion focused on when the student's post would begin.

Julie Walter, board member, preferred to have a student begin at the end of spring.

"We make a lot of decisions over that summer that I'd like to have a student's input for," she said. "I value their input in June as much as I would in October."

Moving the student start date could limit the number of students who would apply for the post, Superintendent Clay Guthmiller said.

The board discussed having a start in the fall with the option for the student to attend meetings in the summer.

The policy outlines several procedure for selecting a student board member:

• Able to meet board meetings attendance expectations
• Possess a GPA of 3.00 or higher    
• Submit current resume outlining current involvement
• Submit a 500-word essay describing why the student wants to serve as a student Board of Education representative
• Submit two letters of recommendation from current Johnston High School faculty members
• Submit Student Board of Education petition with 50 current Johnston High School student signatures

Once the screening is complete the principal, two students and two faculty members will interview finalists.

The non-voting member would have the following responsibilities:

• Representative will sit with the board and be included in all deliberations except those taking place in closed session.
• Representatives will give opinions and approved input as any regularly elected member of the board but they will not have voting privileges.
• Representatives or their families will be responsible for transportation to and from meetings.
• Student representatives are responsible for maintaining their eligibility as required for any other extra curricular activity or office.
• Student representatives will receive Board information packets except confidential materials relating to personnel, collective bargaining or legal issues.
• The board reserves the right to end the student representative program in the event the members determine it is no longer beneficial to the district.

No action was taken on the policy at Monday's meeting but additional readings will be held at the May board meetings.