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Santa Ana Unified introduces first student board members; district outlines role and selection process
Summary
The district introduced two student board members (Yayza Gomez and Edward Apascale) and an alternate (Giselle Carreno), described a selection process of 25 applicants screened to 10 and voted on by ASB presidents, and said students would cast a nondecisive "preferential" vote to record student opinion.
The Santa Ana Unified School District formally introduced its new student board members at the Dec. 9 meeting, a step the district described as elevating student voice in governance.
Leticia Alvarado, executive director for teaching and learning, outlined a multi-step selection process that began with 25 applicants and produced 10 screened candidates. A panel of ASB presidents reviewed anonymized candidate materials and cast votes to select two representatives and an alternate.
The board will seat Yayza Gomez, a student at Middle College High School, and Edward Apascale of Saddleback High School (Apascale was not present at the Dec. 9 meeting because of a school music commitment). Giselle Carreno (Century High School) will serve as the alternate.
Alvarado told the board the students will serve as "bridges" between the district and student communities: they will receive board materials (except closed-session items), attend meetings seated with trustees, ask questions, report on student concerns and cast a "preferential" vote that records student opinion without changing the board's official vote.
Trustees welcomed the students. Dr. Alvarez and other board members described the student role as a long-standing goal to include student perspectives in decisions that affect instruction, nutrition and services. Dr. Alvarez said the board began discussing student representation in 2023 and finalized policy language in September 2024.
Superintendent Dr. Perez and trustees also said the district will provide training opportunities and further details about possible elective credit or compensation if state rules (including Assembly Bill 1390 referenced by staff) permit.
Board members said they look forward to student reports at future meetings and highlighted an expectation that the students will gather and bring insight from peers across the district.
