Oak Creek To Include Student Reps On School Board

OAK CREEK, WI -- Thanks to the work of an Oak Creek High School student, district officials in the Oak Creek-Franklin joint school district have now approved a plan to involve students in board proceedings starting next year.

In January, student Sophia Azim approached the board to add student representatives to the board.

Azim write the board, saying regular communications with principal Michael Read weren't enough, and that the board really needed a student's perspective in addition to giving students the ability to learn more directly what happens on the board.

The Oak Creek-Franklin Board of Education will include two student representatives to serve the Board in an advisory capacity and represent the student body of the Oak Creek-Franklin School District.

The Superintendent worked with Board Clerk Amy Mlot and Azim to review policies from other Wisconsin school districts.

In the end, a policy similar to that of Greendale's was chosen as a model after Greendale officials were consulted on the success of their own student representatives.

Under the new policy in Oak Creek, student representatives will attend School Board meetings, review Board meeting materials, meet with the Superintendent before all regular Board meetings to discuss issues and receive background information and also be free engage in follow-up meetings.

The student representative will also be able to inform the Student Council of School Board developments as well as provide informational bulletins to the Oak Creek High School Newspaper.