North Salem Board of Ed approves appointment of student representatives

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem students will soon have a more formal way of voicing their concerns and sharing their perspectives about decisions that ultimately affect their education.

School trustees acted on Wednesday, April 9, to adopt a policy supporting the appointment of two ex-officio student members to the Board of Education.

Last September, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill requiring all school boards and all Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to choose at least one student member.

“What an education in democracy that'll be for them, hopefully inspiring them to know that each of us have a right of citizenship to participate,” she said, adding: “Whether it's school boards, town boards, higher office, everyone has a responsibility, and at minimum responsibility to vote.”

It goes into effect this July 1 and does not apply to New York City, whose educational system is under the jurisdiction of the mayor rather than an elected school board.

The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. Shelley B. Mayer (D/WF-Yonkers) and state Assemblymember Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake).

After the bill was signed, Mayer noted that school boards “shape the educational experiences of students, but they do not always include the voices of the students they serve.”

“This legislation will give students new opportunities to engage with their school community and build habits of civic engagement that will serve them throughout their lives,” she added.

According to a poll conducted by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) in March of 2024 about a third of the state’s 700 school boards and 37 BOCES boards had non-voting student members.

The law, as it stood then, required a public referendum to create a student board position. The new law repealed the voter approval requirement.

The NYSSBA itself took “no position” on the legislation requiring the appointment of at least one student representative, according to the organization’s director of governmental relations, Brian Fessler.

NYSSBA President Sandy Ruffo noted that while its board of directors “believes strongly in the promotion of civic involvement,” it also thought that “local school districts should be allowed to choose what methods work best.”

Student appointees can attend public meetings and activities but can’t vote or participate in executive sessions or other non-public meetings.

The state legislation also removed current legal requirements that a public referendum be held to authorize the student member seat and that that members be high school seniors.

It only stipulated that student members have attended the local high school for at least one year prior to being picked for the board.

They can be a student body president or someone selected by the high school student government, high school principal, schools superintendent, or a majority vote of the school board.

Benefits Abound

In its resolution supporting the appointment of student representatives, the North Salem Board of Education declared that “regular and frequent contact” between itself, the schools superintendent, and the “high school student body” can significantly improve district operations.

“Good faith actions, mutual respect, and cooperative effort of all parties are essential to a positive and meaningful partnership and bringing about meaningful changes,” it read.

The arrangement will give students the chance “to express their voices, take ownership of their education, and impact board decisions.”

It will also be a “vehicle” for the board and students to “exchange information and learn from one another,” a way for students to acquire governance and leadership skills, and a means of broadening “the base of information available to those ultimately responsible for educational decision making.”

But, just as importantly, it can foster an “environment that encourages inclusion, understanding, trust, and respect,” the resolution said.

The board also voted to establish procedures “for the operation of the student representative concept.”

They are expected to bring student concerns and perspectives to the board discussions, to solicit input from fellow students relative to matters impacting the district (at the direction of the board), and to report board actions to the student body.

Two students will represent the high school at any given meeting. They will be chosen “using a publicly known school procedure.”

The term of office is one year. If a student representative resigns, the board will appoint an interim member.

They will not be allowed to vote or attend executive sessions or other meetings or hearings that aren’t open to the public.

And they aren’t entitled to receive “compensation of any form” for participating in board meetings.

(The experience will look pretty good on their college applications, however.)

Student members will not have the authority to call a special and/or emergency meeting of the board. Neither are they considered a board member for the purposes of establishing a quorum for conducting business.

They will not be allowed to see or discuss documents or information regarding individual district employees, collective bargaining negotiations, individual student records, or “any other confidential matters,” the resolution states.

Budget & Board of Ed Vote

The Board of Education also voted on April 9 to adopt the proposed 2025-2026 school budget of $52,377,964. It represents a 3.64 percent increase over the current spending plan of $50,536,389.

If the budget passes, the tax levy will rise by $1,257,464 or 2.9 percent to $44,598,468 in FY 2025-2026.

The district will hold a public hearing on the adopted school budget on Wednesday, May 7.

Voters will also cast ballots on a proposition to fund a $24.5 million districtwide capital project.

The budget/proposition and board elections vote take place on Tuesday, May 20.