Shaping the future of public education doesn’t just happen in the classroom. For senior Charlotte Elble and junior Henry Gumpper, it also happens with a seat at the decision-making table.
Elble and Gumpper recently participated in the second annual student board member training at the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) office in Albany. The immersive, one-day event brought together student board members from across the state to prepare them for their roles on school boards of education.
Elbe is stepping into her second year as a BKW student board member, while Gumpper, Elble’s alternate, is in his first year of service.
“I learned a lot about navigating and realizing what my flaws and strengths are compared to the previous year,” said Elble. “I appreciated that because I was able to do some self-evaluation.”
The interactive session provided student representatives with a deeper look into how school boards operate, the policy-making process, and how student voices influence district governance. During the event, participants heard from prominent state education and advocacy leaders, including New York State Education Department Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, New York State Sen. Shelly Mayer, and National Student Board Member Association Representative Luke Lippett.
In addition to hearing from educational leaders, Elble and Gumpper participated in group workshops with student board members from other districts. During the workshops, students tackled realistic scenarios and governance challenges that student board members might encounter, ranging from student advocacy strategies to navigating complex board dynamics.
“It was a really good learning opportunity,” said Gumpper. “We learned how board meetings are conducted, what our places are, what the history is, how we got there, and how we can contribute respectfully and productively.”
Now in its second year, the training was organized in response to state legislation requiring public school districts with a high school to elect at least one ex-officio, non-voting student representative to their board of education.
By attending the training and stepping up to represent their peers, Elble and Gumpper ensure that student perspectives remain central to district discussions.
“It was interesting to hear how other districts do their board member process differently,” said Elble. “I suggested to Henry that we should see if there are some things we can get rolling in our district.”