With our commitment to equitable access for all students as our focus, we have made changes to our board policy and procedure (1250 & 1250P) pertaining to student representatives on the school board. As we move into the 2021-22 school year, there will now be two student representative positions open to any junior or senior in the Monroe School District.
For many years, the role of student representative on the school board was filled by the current ASB President of Monroe High School (MHS), who is elected annually by popular vote by the MHS student body. In addition to the ASB President's role as the student leader of MHS ASB activities, the president was also required to attend school board meetings as the ASB representative for the district.
In evaluating this past practice while looking through the lens of equity, it became apparent that selection of the student representative on the school board needed to be a more equitable process. This included opening the opportunity up to students at Leaders in Learning and Sky Valley Education Center in addition to Monroe High School, moving to an equitable random draw of interested students to eliminate selection bias, and removing qualifying criteria, such as GPA, so that the opportunity would be open to any interested and committed student. We recognize there is much diversity in our student body, not just in ethnicity and cultural backgrounds, but in life experiences, individual needs, interests, skills, ideas, and opinions and as such, it is important that this diversity is reflected through the student representatives on our school board.
In addition to ensuring the selection process is equitable, another goal in making changes to our policy & procedure was to ensure that student voice becomes a more integral part of the decision making processes in our district. As a public school district, our organization exists to educate and serve all students in our community and therefore, students' needs, interests, ideas and opinions should be integral in decisions that impact their experiences in our schools. To support this shift in practice, we have added an additional student representative position to the board and will be asking the selected student representatives to contribute to board discussions on behalf of all MSD students and to vote on board issues in an advisory capacity.
With the school board's final approval of the changes to policy 1250 at their meeting on May 24, 2021, we are now recruiting two students (one junior and one senior) to fill these two new positions. Interested students must submit the simple online interest form by August 6, 2021.
The school board will select the two new student representatives for the 2021-22 school year by random draw of those students that have submitted interest forms at their meeting on August 9, 2021. The student board members' terms will begin at the start of the school year in September. The term for each student board member starts at the beginning of their junior year and concludes at the end of their senior year.
Criteria for Serving as a Student Board Representative
- Student board members must be enrolled in the Monroe School District and remain so throughout the length of their term.
- Student board members should be able to effectively communicate and represent the needs and interests of all Monroe School District students, which includes those that may differ from their own.
- Student board members must commit to attending all school board meetings throughout the school year (some exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances). School board meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Student Expectations
- Attend all regularly scheduled board meetings during the school year (some exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances). Transportation assistance for the student may be provided if needed.
- Attend special board meetings and conferences, as needed.
- Be punctual.
- Be prepared for board meetings by reviewing meeting agenda items and information online prior to meetings.
- Meet with the superintendent and/or board president at least once monthly (can be conducted via phone call or Zoom) to prepare for board meetings.
- Develop a communication plan, with guidance from the superintendent and director of communication, to regularly seek input from the student body and to share relevant information.
- Vote on board issues in an advisory capacity.
- Contribute to board discussions by providing student insight and perspectives.
- Regularly report back to the student body regarding work of the board, issues under consideration and decisions to be made.
- Present potential agenda items that are of interest and concern to students, in collaboration with the superintendent and/or board president.
- Help with the recruitment of a new student board representative at the end of the school year.