The other day, I, a rising BRHS senior, realized that I don’t know who is currently on the CSD school board. Not only that, but I never know what they discuss in their meetings unless one of my teachers brings it up. So, curious, I sent out a survey to the whole school. 

Of those who replied, 58.8% do not know anyone who has been or currently is on the school board, and 60.3% are not aware of any specific changes or proposals made by the school board.  

This is a problem. Just like any form of government, the citizens should know what is happening in their society and who is making the changes. This is why I believe that students should be able to elect fellow students to represent them on the school board. 

However, these student representatives should be able to vote as well. This will ensure that the students can finally have, not only a voice, but a say.  Again, in any government, the people can not guarantee their wishes are taken into consideration unless they, too, get a vote. This would guarantee that both the townspeople of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, as well as the students, have a say in what happens at our local high school. 

Now, I know that many of you are probably wondering how this would work. Well, I propose having the whole high school vote for two students to represent the student body. The CSD school board has six members. This would mean that the representation would be one student for every three board members. In my opinion, this is an adequate ratio. Having two members of the student body on the board ensures that they are taken seriously, while guaranteeing that, if the majority of the school board members want something to pass, it will. 

I wanted to see how a member of the board might feel about student voters. To do this, I interviewed Peggy Splaine, who was previously a board member for ten years. She told me that during her time on the board, 4 members, including herself, had children in school. She also said that, “most of the board members actively listen and take the students’ thoughts seriously.” This, though obviously expected of the members, is still very good to hear: that the students’ voices are heard. Hopefully, this means that the board members will help the students find their voice and their courage. Doing so would create an environment that allowed the board members to almost mentor the student representatives. 

When asked about her opinion on having two voting students on the school board, Ms. Splaine’s reply was: “I would love to see two voting members of the student body. I am not sure of the process to make this become a reality. The school board… would need to get the public to vote for this change through a referendum.” But, she continued that “[h]aving students voting would allow students to have a public way to express their voices [and] allow students to gather and run information through their student government and come prepared to address the public and the board. Students are what the board is created to serve per statute… [W]ho better to weigh in with thoughtful feedback then [sic] the students the board was elected to serve[?]” 

I am aware that the Student Body President already attends these meetings. What I am proposing is not to have two more students at these school board meetings, but to elect one other student, perhaps called the Student Body Representative, and allow both this student and the Student Body President a vote at these meetings. This would also be beneficial because it guarantees that one of the representatives is a senior while the other can be from any grade in high school. This creates a sort of mentorship between the Student Body President and the Student Body Representative, and another sort of mentorship between the two students and the school board members. This is also beneficial because these students might very well go on to become representatives for the town or even the state, and would already have some experience under their belts before even stepping into office. 

I know that one of the biggest arguments against this is that high school students are still kids and don’t know what’s best for themselves, or how to handle money, or how to be responsible. However, these are the same students who have their own jobs, sometimes their own businesses, manage their own money to pay for their own cars and their own college education, and do their own taxes. These are also the same students who can vote for the next president and the next Maine representatives. The best way to help high school students is to allow them some independence and some say to prepare them for life as adults. This will also teach these students to bravely voice their opinions, even if the opinion is not widely shared by the people around them. 

The “School Board FAQ” page on the Maine Regional School District 21 website shows that this plan has already been partially implemented by Kennebunk High School. However, these students are chosen by the principal, a faculty member, and the school board chair. At BRHS, the purpose of these representatives would be to voice the opinions of the students, so they should be the ones to elect their representatives. Not only this, but though the Kennebunk student- board members do get votes, these votes do not count towards the final decision. This contradicts one of the core beliefs that the United States was founded on. The United States of America was created to give its members the right to vote on the things that impact their lives. So why should we not be given that same right that our founders so bravely fought for?