New student board member Isabela D'Arsavi outlines plans to expand student voice

Isabela D'Arsavi, the St. Mary's County Board of Education's student member for the 2026–27 school year, introduced herself at the July 8 meeting and described four guiding principles for her term: preparation to serve, open communication, expanding representation and prioritizing accessible information.

Why it matters: the student member (SMOB) serves as a direct line between students and the board and can influence outreach and information flows that affect the district's roughly 17,000 students.

D'Arsavi said she is a rising senior at Leonardtown High School and has spent 13 years in the county school system. She also called out prior student leaders who guided her and thanked board members for their support. "Every one of our 17,000 students deserves a leader who's driven to achieve tangible, observable results," D'Arsavi said.

To gather student input, D'Arsavi plans to launch monthly digital feedback forms addressing mental health, finances, athletics, arts and resource gaps, and to combine classroom visits with those forms to broaden representation. She also said she will provide short Instagram updates breaking down meeting takeaways, citing the need to close the information gap between the board and busy students.

D'Arsavi identified herself as an ex officio executive board member of the Saint Mary's County Association of Student Councils and asked students to contact her via the district SMOB Instagram handle or her school email with questions and ideas. The remarks were delivered as part of the superintendent's update and required no board action.