In the Madison, Wisconsin, a high school student representative and an alternate are elected by their peers to serve one calendar year on the Madison School District Board of Education.
The student representative has all the responsibilities of an adult school board member, except those prohibited by law, and casts an advisory vote. The representative meets regularly with the Madison Student Senate and middle school student council presidents. In addition, the elected youth representative writes a monthly column for each school’s newspaper to update students on the current activities of the School Board.
The process for being elected as the student member to the school board is:
- Any Madison high school student may run for a regular or alternate position on the board.
- A candidate forum is held for all students
- Candidates tour all the district’s high schools, giving speeches and answering students’ questions prior to a districtwide election.
- The student representative to the Madison School Board receives one pass/fail credit for participation, with the school board determining whether to pass or fail the student.
- The student representative to the board may be impeached by a two-thirds vote of both the MSS and the school board.
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