From the Mouths of Student Board Members
June 01, 2026
What two recent student representatives in Virginia and New York see differentiating lip service from effective governance work
Hundreds of miles apart, the two of us encountered the same fundamental question while serving as student members of the public school board in our respective communities: Under what conditions does student voice move from symbolic to structural?
That question hangs over our thinking about student board service. Drawing on our recent tenures and our current work with the National Student Board Member Association, we examine how onboarding, school board culture and superintendent leadership determine whether a student seat at the governance table becomes a meaningful one.
When Rida became a student board member in Fairfax County, Va., she already knew what issues she wanted to work on. She had watched students skip lunch because nothing on the menu fit their dietary needs, whether for religious or personal reasons, and she believed the school district could do better.
She brought that observation to the board alongside peer input and data. What followed surprised her. She found herself in meeting rooms with nutrition services, budget staff and procurement teams, working through a real exploratory process. That experience showed her that student input, when taken seriously, can move from a hallway conversation to a policy outcome.
Luke attended school in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y., with his district located just 20 minutes from the Canadian border. Even with that geography, the Orchard Park schools faced the same culture war debates confronting schools across the country. As book bans and policy challenges began appearing locally, Luke and other students believed their perspectives needed to be part of those conversations.
Through the role of a student ex-officio board member, he helped bring student voices into the room where decisions were made. Student input expanded from a limited three-minute public comment to a full seat at the board table, allowing him and other students to contribute insights during discussions that affected their schools.
As the board dealt with these social and political issues, students in Luke’s district successfully campaigned for the community to vote to allow a student to serve on the school board. The measure passed by an overwhelming 3-1 majority. The high school then tapped incoming seniors who showed commitment to representing the voices of their peers at the board table.
After a rigorous selection process with applications and interviews with the principal and superintendent, Luke officially became an ex-officio board member. He found himself sitting in the same room receiving the same training as seven adults who had campaigned for election by the community to serve the district.
However, the training he received for the new position at the time was limited, as it largely addressed issues raised by adult board members. This experience led Luke to look outside of his school district for opportunities to become well versed in the conversations taking place at the board table.
Needed Readiness
When Rida began her board term, no guidance existed to help her navigate the role. No orientation materials, no documentation and no predecessor to contact because the previous student member had graduated and lived elsewhere. Months into the position, she discovered a program called Student Trustee Action Readiness Training, designed specifically for student members of school boards. The discovery raised a question for her: How many other student board representatives sit in meetings without knowing supportive resources exist?
By the time Rida found the program, the portion of her term where that preparation would have been most useful already had passed. Learning board procedures, budget cycles and policy workflows requires time, even with help. Without that foundation, the early part of a term becomes a period of figuring things out instead of contributing fully. Districts often create that gap unintentionally, yet the structure that produces it reflects a choice.
The National Student Board Member Association conducted a national survey in 2025 that received 101 responses from student board members across the country. The results point to clear gaps in student influence and preparation. Nearly 70 percent of respondents described their role as “symbolic” or excluded. All respondents said they wanted to be taken more seriously, and 41 percent expressed interest in voting rights.
One student summarized the year-long experience this way: “Being heard but not realistically taken under consideration.” Another reflected: “I had no official training. … I could have figured it out a lot sooner with support.”
The Missing Step
From Rida’s perspective, board culture often encouraged discussion without creating accountability. Student-raised issues were acknowledged and sometimes discussed at length, but conversations did not consistently translate into clear next steps, with assigned responsibility or follow-up. In some cases, board members engaged thoughtfully in the moment, yet the absence of a defined process meant that issues raised by students did not reappear on future agendas or move forward administratively. This created a gap between deliberation and execution.
Board culture did not always clarify what would happen after a concern was raised, which limited whether student input meaningfully influenced outcomes.
Through periods of controversy and culture war debates, the board culture Luke experienced remained strong. The board included seven elected members along with district administrators who consistently prioritized the well-being of the district and its students.
Within that environment, Luke felt the needs of his peers were respected and taken seriously. Board members listened carefully and often translated those conversations into action. The culture created space for him to represent student perspectives openly and, at times, critically during important discussions that produced meaningful change across several areas of the district.
When looking at the approaches to implementing the student board member position nationwide, we find one thing that sticks out: inconsistency from district to district. In some districts, students feel as if the culture leads to a sense that the board is just “checking a box,” while in other districts, student representatives feel not just heard and seen but believe their perspectives are actively influencing district policies and practices.
NSBMA trains students (and adults) to work closely to bridge the gap, effectively creating a culture where student board members can meaningfully contribute in a way that has a tangible impact on the district and community. This includes a national conference known as START, or Student Trustee Action Readiness Training (see related story, below).
Superintendents’ Parts
Luke is forever grateful for the support and commitment of his superintendent. His leadership ensured student voices always were included in important conversations within the district. After initiating the process of adding a student voice to the school board officially, the superintendent immediately began consulting students to build the position in an intentional way that felt authentic rather than performative.
Whether including the student board member in board member trainings or providing the same meeting materials ahead of time, his superintendent served as a key part of building a supportive board culture. That culture naturally integrated the student voice into the board and created a space that welcomed student opinions and suggestions.
Before Rida’s term began, she met with the superintendent to align priorities. That meeting reflected a genuine commitment to including student perspective in district leadership. The goals they established felt meaningful, and the willingness to meet at all signaled respect for the role.
What would have strengthened that foundation was continued engagement after the initial conversation. Student-raised ideas typically were acknowledged without follow-up questions, next steps or further discussion. In Rida’s view, respect in governance requires dialogue and clarity around action. When student board members remain outside follow-up conversations, the role remains consultative rather than operational.
Her entry point felt strong, but the structures needed to sustain that engagement would have benefited from more intentional design.
Luke’s school district did as much as it could to provide support to the student ex-officio member. However, at the time, there were few resources available for student board members. Fortunately, as states like New York have passed laws requiring student school board members, more resources have become available to school districts and student representatives alike to support a successful and intentional onboarding and term.
Authentic Perspectives
We have witnesses across the nation — through the thoughtful and intentional leadership of superintendents and school boards — that prepared student representation on school boards leads to better outcomes in student voices, feelings of belonging and authentic representation.
Though many students have felt as if their role as a school board member is simply symbolic, this does not have to be the case for any school district. The National Student Board Member Association exists as a resource to bridge the gaps between students and adults to improve each and every district through effective and supported student representatives who offer an authentic perspective — one unable to be replicated by adult stakeholders — that leads districts to success through a more effectively engaged student body.
Rida Karim, a freshman at the University of Virginia, served as student board member in the Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Va., in 2023–24. Luke Lippitt, a freshman at New York University, was student ex-officio board member in the Orchard Park Central School District in Orchard Park, N.Y., in 2024-25.
By George-Constantinos Charonis
I see firsthand how student board members across the country surface overlooked issues, driving positive change for their peers and communities. Creating space for students at the decision-making table is not simply a goodwill gesture but a practical strategy to improve governance, bringing school boards closer to the experiences and needs of their students.
At least 1,500 students today serve as elected and appointed members on district, county, charter and state boards of education nationwide. While the prevalence of student board members, or SBMs, varies by state, legal requirements exist in Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, with similar bills under discussion elsewhere. In 2025, Columbia University’s School Board and Youth Engagement Lab began publishing a series of state reports on SBMs’ presence, demonstrating a steady spread of the position over time.
Valuing as Equals
On the most successful boards, adults treat students as colleagues in three key areas: board culture, SBM rights and responsibilities and support for the role. Procedures for these aspects should be codified in board policy.
Student participation is most impactful when board cultures value SBMs as equal trustees and experts of the student experience. On those boards, SBMs are not just providing brief updates. They are invited into substantive policy discussions and help shape proposals.
The rights and responsibilities of the position are key. In a small number of districts, SBMs hold full voting, motioning and attendance rights and responsibilities equal to adults. This is the gold standard. More commonly, SBMs hold advisory or preferential votes, where their vote is recorded but does not contribute to the final outcome. Even where full voting rights are not possible, boards can expand meaningful participation through motioning privileges, committee assignments and inclusion in both open and executive sessions, as well as board events.
Consistent engagement is a prerequisite for success. Our association defines SBMs as students who are invited to and actively participate in at least 50 percent of regular business meetings, a threshold that enables meaningful engagement. Term lengths vary but typically run one to two years, from July 1 to June 30.
Selection Processes
Another critical element is how students are selected. Election by peers remains the most equitable, transparent model while serving as an experiential civics lesson for all high school students. However, this requires planning and logistical support. Selection by a districtwide student advisory council fosters connections with existing student leadership but can narrow representation without intentional inclusion.
Further, an appointment by the superintendent, board of education or high school principal may be expeditious but often creates an adult-driven process lacking transparency and meaningful student ownership.
Finally, comprehensive onboarding, training and mentorship make the role transformational. Assigning a dedicated staff member, scheduling regular check-ins with the superintendent and providing transportation support and perhaps stipends increase accessibility for SBMs. Just as adult board members receive professional development, SBMs are more successful when they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to govern and represent their peers effectively.
Partners in Design
Education leaders increasingly recognize stakeholder participation in systems design as a key feature of future-ready education systems. Student board members can help make it a reality. provides training, informational resources and support to student and adult board members.
George-Constantinos Charonis is the executive director of the National Student Board Member Association in Washington, D.C.
By O'Marie Barnes
On Feb. 19, 2025, the governor of Maryland nominated me to the Maryland State Board of Education. Months before taking office, I sat for lunch with the president of the board, Joshua Michael. “O’Marie,” he told me, “you are about to become the most powerful student in the state.”
For the first time, I was hit by the realities of the position. Officials with significant power over public education in the state would ask me where I stood on important issues, and I would need to articulate my position with respect and forcefulness. This was not an extracurricular activity. It was a time-consuming public office.
A Different Dimension
The role of a state student board member differs from that of a local one. While my peers on local boards deliberate over topics such as bell schedules and boundary changes, my portfolio involves a layer of systemic removal. We, as a board, do not deal with the direct consequences of state law, such as how to fund increasing teacher salaries without cutting positions or the politics of whether a certain book is included in the curriculum.
With this systemic removal comes the expectation that you will not use the role to advocate for your school district but to promote proper stewardship of public education in the state. Instead, I have cast votes on the submission of a $9 billion-plus education budget to the governor and weighed in on whether a local school board member should be removed for misconduct.
In the state board’s quasi-judicial capacity, I hear oral arguments from terminated employees contesting their discharge. As a member of the legislative subgroup, I navigate the political complexities of state-level bills and their impact on our 24 local school districts — for example, how to defend against increasing concerns regarding federal immigration cooperation without putting staff at risk, as we did by supporting HB1341, the Maryland Values Act of 2026.
Leveraging the Seat
Since the role’s inception in 1986, Maryland has expanded this position to encompass nearly full voting rights — a rare and significant delegation of power to a student. I do not take this responsibility lightly.
As a result of an amendment I made in the Education Policy Committee, we are moving toward adding student seats on committees reviewing library holdings. We are implementing new mathematics and literacy standards and strengthening remedial processes for at-risk readers. We also successfully lobbied for the Academic Excellence Teacher Coaching model.
And when the time came to invite a delegation of six board members to brief the governor on this progress in February, my name was on the list. It felt exhilarating. I knew the decisions we were making were impacting hundreds of thousands for years to come.
Bridge the Gap
Student representatives on state education governing bodies are rare at this time, with only six of us serving in this capacity with voting authority.
School administrators can best support state-level student board members by treating us as the strategic resource we are.
I maintain excellent relationships with my local education agency, the Prince George’s County Public Schools. Without the data and on-the-ground insights provided by my district, I would lack the groundedness to make informed decisions in the boardroom.
Local leaders reduce that layer of removal by keeping me looped into the daily realities of the schoolhouse. I often am invited to attend district events and speak about youth issues. Just a few months ago, I spoke alongside the county executive of Prince George’s County to announce a Dual in Schools program that will bring college courses to high school campuses.
The most powerful tool a school system has to aid a state student board member is the transparent sharing of data and frequent communication, which ensures that when I sit at the state table, I am carrying the authentic voice of my community.
By cultivating these professional partnerships, we ensure the most important stakeholder in public education, the student, is not just in the room but is equipped to lead.
O’Marie Barnes, a senior at Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Md., is the student member of the Maryland State Board of Education.
By George-Constantinos Charonis
One of the most important investments a school board can make in its student board members is training and professional development. Overall, governance improves when students, like adults, are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their duties.
Yet many student board members, or SBMs, experience a lack of tailored onboarding, professional development and networking opportunities. A 2025 national survey of about 100 SBMs conducted by the National Student Board Member Association found that onboarding, training, peer-to-peer support and networking opportunities were the primary support needs identified. In a 2025 doctoral dissertation at San Diego State University of student board member experience in California, Pamela Rabin found many participants reported limited or inconsistent preparation for the role.
The National Student Board Member Association was founded by and for students to fill a gap for preparation by providing high-quality training, support and mentorship. Our annual Student Trustee Action Readiness Training, or START, conference is an interactive peer-to-peer and near-peer learning experience conducted online in summer.
During the three-day conference, students learn about board governance, work collaboratively to draft, present and refine policy proposals on topics relevant to them and participate in simulated mock board meetings. Beyond training, START serves as a supportive community that students can rely on throughout their term in office.
Empowered Training
In 2025, START brought together 44 student board members from 16 states, collectively representing 2.5 million students. Participants reported that START gave them the skills and tools to succeed and increased their confidence in fulfilling their responsibilities.
The participants, through a survey, described feeling empowered, prepared and informed. Compared to other training they had received, the students indicated START as more comprehensive and significantly more personalized to their role as student board members. We are growing START in 2026 and look forward to welcoming even more participants during our online event on Sept. 18-20. Visit to find out more.
George-Constantinos Charonis is executive director of the National Student Board Member Association in Washington, D.C.
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