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Trustee raises edits to student board member policy; suggests changing 'shall' to 'may'
Summary
During a first reading of a proposed student board member policy, Trustee Chelsea Bonini urged clarifying application language and recommended replacing "shall" with "may" to retain flexibility; legal counsel indicated applications may be limited by statute to Court and Community School students.
A proposed Board policy on student board members received a first reading Oct. 8, during which trustees debated eligibility language and the mechanics of application and appointment.
Board Member Chelsea Bonini said the draft contains both a requirement to accept applications from the county, as required by law, and language proposing the appointment of two student board members—one liaison and one from county schools—which she said can appear disconnected. Bonini suggested revising the policy to change the phrase from "shall" select two student county board members to "may" to preserve flexibility if circumstances prevent appointing two students in a given year.
Bonini also recommended clarifying that student board members receive support from both the Superintendent and the Board and adding an explicit option for students to apply independently rather than relying solely on staff recommendations. Board Member Susan Alvaro cited Deputy County Attorney Lisa Cho’s advice that application acceptance can be limited to Court and Community School students under current law. Trustees agreed staff would revisit policy language for clarity.
