Procedure No. 1250

Section 1000 - Board of Directors

 

Students on Governing Boards

Purpose

The purpose of the student representative to the Board of Directors is to serve as liaison between the Board and the students within Longview Public Schools.

Term of Office

Two student representatives will be selected by their high school administration and staff (one for each), on a rotating basis.  The selection process will include an invitation for all eligible students to apply.  Interviews will be conducted by administration and staff representatives. One student will be a junior and the other a senior. Each student representative will serve a one-year term (if incoming senior) or a two-year term (if incoming junior) beginning in September and concluding in June. When the senior graduates, the junior will move to the senior position and a new junior will be selected. In the event a vacancy arises prior to the expiration of the term, an alternate student representative from the same school will be appointed by the school administration to fill the vacancy for the current term.

Orientation

New student representatives will receive an orientation session provided by the superintendent or designee and a member of the Board of Directors.

Qualifications

The student representatives must be:

1. Entering his/her junior or senior year at the time of selection and in good academic standing, and maintain good academic standing throughout his or her term.  Academic eligibility will be based upon the same standard for student participation in athletics and other extra-curricular activities.  Selected students should also have a history of leadership and involvement in extra-curricular and civic activities.
2. Attending their designated high school at least three periods a day, or develop a plan approved by school administration to ensure that they remain engaged with the student body throughout the school year while participating in offsite instruction.
3. Willing to convey student opinion to the Board, report Board deliberations and actions to the student body, and gather input about issues facing the Board.  Input methods could include: student meetings, surveys and other methods.
4. Willing to commit the necessary time to attend meetings and perform the duties and responsibilities of a student representative.
5. The student representative is preferred to be a resident of the district.

Responsibilities

Student representatives will:

1. Adhere to all the rules and regulations pertaining to board members.
2. Receive copies of all regular meeting agendas, minutes and other relevant information, excluding executive session materials.
3. Review the Board meeting agenda packets and read materials prior to attendance at meetings.
4. Attend the regular school board meetings each month while school is in session.  Because regular board meetings occur during the evening, the Board may grant permission for the student to leave a meeting before the conclusion after the student report has been given. Regular school board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building Board Room, 2715 Lilac Street, Longview, WA.
5. Attend special meetings or study sessions, if requested by the President, but not executive sessions or exempt sessions.
6. Participate in discussions at regular open meetings of the Board when applicable.
7. Provide reports to the Board during the agenda item titled “Student Representative Board Report.” The reports may cover student activities, events and any other topics or concerns of interest to the student body.  Each representative will provide a school report one time per month at alternating board meetings. Provisions will be made to have a Discovery student/s provide a board presentation at least two times per year in lieu of a RAL or MMHS report.
8. Help coordinate and facilitate periodic board representative/students discussions held at school sites at the board president’s request.
9. Refrain from committing the high school ASB to any action that has not been previously approved by the ASB.
10. Have an orientation with the new student school board representative once selected and the Superintendent.
11. Create ways to connect with students to ensure that they are correctly gauging student opinions. This could be through ASB, activities, sports, clubs, surveys, and lunch table discussions, among other possibilities.
12. Participate in Board training sessions, when invited, and in the annual Washington State School Directors Association conference and legislative assembly when possible. When these sessions occur on school days, student representatives will follow established prearranged absence procedures at the high school.
13. Be responsible for communicating with the ASB Executive Board and student body. School sites have the discretion to add the Student School Board Representative as an officer to their ASB Executive Board.

Removal from the Board of Directors

A student representative may be removed from the Board of Directors by the Board or the Superintendent for:

1. failure to maintain academic standards,
2. behaviors that the board and or superintendent deem unacceptable as a member of the Board or as a representative of the District,  
3.  failure to fulfill responsibilities.

Vacancies

In the event a vacancy arises prior to the expiration of the term, an alternate from the same school will be appointed by the school administration to fill the vacancy.