Board Choice for Student Voice
By Contributor
Board meeting attendance is up this year thanks to a new commitment by the Board. 2018-2019 will be the first academic year that a group of selected students, representing each high school in the district, will take a seat alongside the trustees at regular board meetings each month.
“The Board strives to inclusively consider the perspective voices of parents, teachers, district, school and support staff,” explains Board Chair Lenora Trenaman, “it just makes sense to include the most important stakeholder voice – the students!”
Recruitment took place for student trustee positions last spring where interested high school students in the district were encouraged to apply. Grade 11 & 12 students are eligible and may serve up to a two-year term if they begin in their grade 11 year.
Ben Eaton, Director of Inclusive Education has been assigned to mentor this student leadership group. “I am excited about my role in supporting their initial orientation and ongoing needs as contributing members within the Board of Education.”
With the help of the Board Chair, particularly during meetings, the student trustees will be supported to ensure their understanding of board governance and procedure. While they will not be permitted to move motions, they may suggest a motion on any matter during regular board meetings.
When asked about what kind of contribution she might make in the role of a Student Trustee, Eden Solarik of L.V. Rogers in Nelson replied, “I’ve always been interested in getting the views of students to our administration, and before this opportunity, there hadn’t really been a clear way of how to communicate directly with the Board.”
Eden is excited about being a representative and bringing issues such as access to WiFi and timetable concerns forward.
The Board of Education values the importance of student leadership and the contribution our students make to the learning process. The Board commends this group for taking the initiative to be leaders amongst their peers.
“Our students are the focal point of every discussion and every decision of the Board of Education,” and as Trenaman concludes. “Their learning is affected by decisions made at the board table, they should absolutely have a voice.”
Photo Caption: Liam Borhaven of Crawford Bay and Eden Solarik of L.V. Rogers are both excited to bring student issues to the Kootenay Lake School Board. — Submitted photo
