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Students applaud advisory council as residents press board on Schools of Hope, book reviews and library policies
Summary
Student members of the superintendent’s Student Advisory Council described how the council channels student voice; during public comment, many Hillsborough residents urged expansion of Dobie Elementary to K–8 and expressed concerns about the state 'Schools of Hope' rule and recent book‑review actions.
Students from the superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and other student representatives addressed the board during public comment, describing the council as a forum where juniors and seniors from all high schools review district communications, safety concerns and programs and bring student perspectives to decision‑making.
Ella Aden (Alonzo High) and other student speakers told the board the council improved their leadership skills and helped them raise issues such as school safety and communication. Superintendent Van Ayers said the council includes two students from each of the district’s 29 high schools (58 students total) and that five council members would speak during public comment.
Public comment also included parents and community members pressing the board on unrelated but prominent issues: several speakers urged the district to approve a K–8 expansion at Dobie Elementary to address rapid housing growth in Waterset and nearby developments, citing more than 1,100 petition signatures and concerns that current middle-school options cause families to leave the district. Speakers described Dobie K–8 as a cost‑effective use of existing district property that would relieve enrollment pressure at Eisenhower Middle School.
A separate and sustained line of public comment criticized the state’s recently announced Schools of Hope rule (speakers cited rule numbers orally), arguing it permits private operators to occupy public-school space without adequate local oversight, transparency, or accountability. Speakers urged the board to pursue oversight, hold public town halls, and press legislators to change the rule. Several commenters also raised concerns about library‑book review processes and recent temporary removals of titles from school shelves, asking the board to ensure consistent review processes and transparency.
Board members acknowledged the range of public concerns and agreed to follow up: staff will provide details on enrollment and capacity for Dobie and on attendance‑system issues raised by a teacher later in the meeting, and the board expressed interest in reviewing the implications of the Schools of Hope policy in a future workshop or suspended agenda item.
