THOUSAND OAKS : Student Advisers Get Vote on School Board

The Conejo Valley school board will soon have a new voting member.

According to district officials, student advisers to the elected five-member board have earned the right to cast votes on all public matters. The votes will become part of the official record but carry no weight in the official votes.

Under state law, elected student representatives must be allowed to cast non-binding, advisory votes if at least 500 students sign a petition backing the idea.

Two weeks ago, Thousand Oaks High School student Michelle Quist presented district officials with a petition carrying the required number of signatures.

Trustees of the Conejo Valley Unified School District will discuss tonight the guidelines that will be used to choose the voting student advisers.

Previously, student advisers from each of the district’s four high schools gave brief reports on campus activities at the beginning of each meeting, but they did not participate in policy discussions or cast votes.

Board member Mildred Lynch expressed concern Monday that the students would lack a thorough understanding of district issues before casting their votes.

“They won’t have the background for it,” she said. “Most of what we do is not just paper there at the board meeting. It’s what’s gone on before. Everything has history.”