BUSD approves process to select student member

A non-voting student member of the Bonsall Unified School District (BUSD) board has been authorized since December 2013, but no process to select the student member had ever been adopted prior to the Jan. 19 BUSD board meeting when a 4-0 vote with Erin English absent approved a procedure.

"We thought we should get that ready to have one and be able to start in July," said BUSD superintendent Justin Cunningham.

Bonsall High School opened in August 2014 with ninth-graders only and has expanded by one grade each year. The 2017-18 school year will be the first with twelfth-graders.

"We wanted to look at what the duties would be," Cunningham said.

In December 2013 the Bonsall board adopted Board Bylaw 9150 which stipulated that the school board may include at least one student member who may cast a preferential vote. The student vote will not be part of the official board vote. The student member may make motions other than on matters dealing with employer-employee relations and may make comments or ask questions of speakers. The student member may not attend closed session portions of meetings.

"The vote won't necessarily count," said Cunningham. "However, they definitely will be asked to vote. They will be asked for their input on district matters."

The procedure adopted Jan. 19 includes eligibility criteria as well as the process for selecting a member. A student board member must be in eleventh or twelfth grade (current tenth-graders can apply for the upcoming year). The student must be on track to graduate and be enrolled in the Bonsall High School leadership class; the student must also maintain at least a "C" grade or higher in the leadership class.

The student must have reviewed Board Bylaw 9150, must commit to prepare for meetings by reviewing the materials provided, and must agree to learn and abide by all rules and regulations governing public boards, including the Brown Act. The student member must also maintain 100 percent attendance at the board meetings with exceptions allowed for illness or for personal or family emergency if the student notifies the BUSD superintendent in advance or his or her absence.

Students interested in the position of the BUSD board student member will submit a letter of interest to the Associated Student Body executive board. All candidates will be provided with two agenda items from a recent board meeting, and the candidates will present their proposed vote and rationale to the leadership class. The ASB executive board will select the top three candidates, who will be interviewed by the BUSD superintendent. The superintendent will select the top candidate for the board member position.