With so many differing opinions on school board decisions, what role do student voices play? 

Recent school board elections have resurfaced some concerns about the weight of student opinions. The school board makes decisions which impact students’ daily lives but, on occasion, students do not feel heard. Of course, board officials are pulled in different directions by various adult members of the community, but since students are often most impacted by changes in school policy, their opinions should be weighed significantly and with great importance.

Although it should be the school board’s responsibility to seek out students’ points of view, students have been faced with difficulties making their voices heard. 

To advocate for themselves, a group of students founded the One Hill Project, a coalition of PVPUSD students working to improve correspondence between the board of education and students. The board generously offers time for One Hill Project members to voice their own concerns and those of their peers at school board meetings. 

Unfortunately, the relationship between the One Hill Project and the board of education has not always been as productive as it currently is. In the past, some students including those involved with  the One Hill Project have felt that their voices were disregarded, especially during Zoom meetings with the district. The new school board elections bring hope to students that this will never happen again. The electees should work hard to preserve the influence that the One Hill Project has worked so hard for.

It seems like a tedious task for school board members to consider so many student opinions when making decisions, but there are ways to do so that could be implemented immediately. Something as simple as visiting classrooms gives students the opportunity to talk to board members and directly give their input. Other methods of strengthening communication include making surveys and forms available to all students, whether to voice concerns or to provide opinions on ongoing affairs. 

Students hope the next installation of the school board will make student voices a priority in their decision-making.