Committee advances proposal to place student members on Minnesota school boards; bill laid over after amendment

The Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee considered Senate File 197, a bill to require school districts to establish a process for student representation on local school boards. After adopting an author's A1 amendment the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the session's omnibus package.

The measure would require elected school boards to establish a selection process that allows enrolled ninth-through-twelfth-grade students who are residents of the district to elect two student members. Under the A1 amendment adopted in committee, student members may attend school board meetings, introduce items for inclusion on the agenda, and participate in public discussion; the amendment clarified they may not participate in closed meetings.

Supporters and testimony

Several current and former students and youth-council members testified in favor of the bill, saying student board membership would create civic education opportunities and strengthen communication between students and boards. Brady Sternberg, a recent…