As classes begin this week in many Kentucky schools, a student-led organization continues to seek an official role in school governance. The group’s efforts are reflected in a report released this week.
Teens from the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team surveyed peers, teachers, principals, and school superintendents over the past year. Results from some 300 schools and district offices showed 8 percent of school councils and 9 percent of central offices support students serving on their governing bodies. Eliza Jane Schaeffer is outgoing school governance chair for the Student Voice Team. She says student inclusion in governance can raise student performance. “It encourages them to take a larger role in their education, to try harder in school. They’re actually more likely to follow the rules that they helped create,” said Schaeffer.
Schaeffer says currently, only 2 percent of councils have voting student members. Members of the Student Voice Team made a presentation before the Fayette School Board in May. According to Schaefer, board members at that time expressed support for the idea.?
