Students propose six-member Raider Advisory Council to broaden student voice

Michael Damasi and Devani Morabita Smith, student leaders at Patchogue-Medford High School, presented a proposal to create a six-member Raider Advisory Council intended to expand equitable student representation across the district and support the student ex officio board member, Charlotte Lake.

The students said the pilot would assign each advisory member to a cluster of schools, gather monthly input from student leaders at elementary and middle schools, and meet once a month with the ex officio member to relay school-by-school concerns and ideas. "This expansion allows more diverse perspectives, greater student voice, as well as increased leadership opportunities," Devani Morabita Smith said.

Trustees and administrators asked how the six students would be chosen and whether the council would be student-led. The presenters said they expect to develop selection criteria by December and that the pilot is intended to be student-led with district staff available for supervision as needed. Charlotte Lake, the current student ex officio board member, told trustees the arrangement would improve consistent two-way communication between student governments and the ex officio role.

Board members recommended an application process to avoid favoritism, discussed possibly expanding the ex officio role to multiple student members, and suggested coordinating selection methods so advisory appointments align with any changes to the ex officio policy. Trustees praised the students' proposal and encouraged further refinement ahead of a pilot launch.

The presentation concluded with trustees thanking the students for the proposal and noting that the board and superintendent's office would help draft policy language should the program move forward.