Student asks Henrico board to add nonvoting student representative under Virginia code

A tenth‑grade student urged the Henrico County School Board on May 8 to add a nonvoting student representative to the board, citing state law that permits local boards to appoint advisory student members.

Jack George, a tenth grader at Henrico High School and a student in the Center for the Arts program, told the board that under Code of Virginia section 22.1‑86.1 a local school board may implement a nonvoting advisory student representative. “Students deserve to have a voice at the table,” George said, noting that other Virginia divisions from Fairfax County to Albemarle County have student representatives.

Why it matters: George argued that recent and proposed policies—such as cell phone restrictions and increased school security—directly affect students’ daily experience and would benefit from student perspective during deliberations. He asked the board to consider a representative who could advise the board on matters affecting the student body.

Board response and procedure: The board did not take action at the May 8 meeting. Public‑forum procedure disallowed board responses during the forum; staff indicated written follow‑up is available. George thanked the board for prior communications and for remarks by board member Atkins during a work session.

Background: Student advisory representatives are established in several Virginia localities. Under the statute cited by George, local boards may adopt a nonvoting student representative role; implementation details—including selection method, term length, and scope—vary by division and would require board policy if Henrico pursued the change.

Ending: The board scheduled no vote on the request at the meeting. If the board decides to pursue a student representative, it would need to adopt a local policy establishing the role and selection process.