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Kennedale council, ISD discuss reviving Youth Advisory Council and joint working group
Summary
Kennedale council members and Kennedale ISD trustees discussed restarting the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) for the coming school year and creating a nonbinding intergovernmental committee to coordinate city and school projects and messaging.
Mayor opened a work session item on June 16 seeking to revive Kennedale’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and asked council members to consider next steps.
Sean Glover, Kennedale ISD board president, told the council the district is interested in a formal collaboration. “We have had some preliminary conversations about the youth advisory council and what that might look like,” he said. Trustee Maria Douglas added the district can help recruit students and indicated trustees would be willing to serve on a joint committee.
Council members debated program details. One council member said the YAC provides local students “an opportunity to participate in civics” and urged a plan that makes participants feel their work is meaningful. Staff and trustees recalled the YAC’s prior membership range (historically 15–25 members) and discussed setting a minimum of 15 to avoid startup shortfalls. Council members asked that the ordinance be reviewed for language that would allow flexibility, and suggested temporarily adjusting the program’s start date so the YAC can begin meeting this fall rather than waiting until next June.
Trustees and council members also discussed an informal, nonbinding intergovernmental working group that would include the mayor and the ISD board president, rotating chair responsibilities and meeting quarterly to coordinate messaging, enrollment trends and shared projects. Glover described the proposed body as advisory rather than legally binding: “I think of it more of as an advisory thing, really, because I think if you start, binding entities, you can start getting into potentially… other districts trying to impact the city,” he said.
City and district officials said they will work together on timeline and outreach, with staff planning to post application information on the city website and coordinate with school counselors in August to recruit students for a September meet-and-greet. The council did not take formal action; members asked staff to prepare ordinance language and logistics for future deliberation.
