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Policy committee tables student‑rep changes after students and members raise equity and timing concerns
Summary
The Ithaca policy committee postponed final action on a draft policy for student ex‑officio board members after students reported confusion about IHS elections and members agreed to keep four elected reps this year while developing a possible future mix of elected and appointed representatives.
The Ithaca Board of Education policy committee on June 2 reviewed a proposed revision to policy 4.3 that would change how Ithaca High School selects its student ex‑officio representatives and paused further action to allow more planning with students and administrators.
Students told the committee they are confused about this year’s process at Ithaca High School, which alternated between electing four students and then proposing to elect two with two additional slots filled by appointment. One student said the back‑and‑forth has created uncertainty about how any appointed slots would be selected and whether appointments could be equitable.
Committee members and students debated tradeoffs between direct elections and appointed or hybrid selection methods. A committee member summarized past student feedback and a December survey result showing strong student preference for direct elections; members and students also discussed turnout and voting methods, including the use of ranked‑choice/single transferable vote in prior elections. One committee member noted roughly 1,386 high‑school students are enrolled and said about 800 students voted in the most recent election, figures members used to frame how representative election results might be.
Board members acknowledged that elected student reps have tended to be students planning to attend college and that turnout and outreach influence whose voices are represented. Several students and members urged solutions that would broaden participation — for example, student‑led processes to redesign elections, a sign‑up or rotation system for appointed slots, or adding alternates to improve attendance and continuity.
Because the committee lacks unilateral authority to change the district’s immediate procedures, members recommended that Ithaca High School proceed with four elected student reps for the upcoming seating while the board and administration work over the summer to pilot or draft a more detailed hybrid process (for example, two elected and two selected through a proposed appointment/rotation) for consideration in a future year. The committee formally tabled policy 4.3 to allow further work with students and administrators.
What’s next: the committee asked administrators and student leaders to collaborate over the summer on concrete options — outreach plans to increase turnout, a possible student‑led appointment list, mechanisms for alternates, and clearer communication to students about selection timelines — before returning revised language to the committee and, if endorsed, to the full board.
