To the Editor:
On May 17, 2022, voters in the Voorheesville Central School District will be given the chance to provide our youth with an increased voice and invaluable experience in civic engagement. I sincerely hope my fellow community members will take advantage of this opportunity and overwhelmingly vote “yes” to allow the district to have a student board-of-education member.

Our nation is indisputably in a national civic crisis, marked by low voter participation and engagement, as well as rampant disinformation. In turn, it is our responsibility as adults to foster in our children a sense of responsibility for and ownership of our democracy’s health.

The earlier we address this with our children, the better we will fare as a society. And while we  should do all we can at home, our schools also have a significant responsibility to ready our children to accept stewardship of our republic.

As put by our state’s highest court, the core purpose of our education system is to prepare students so that they may “function productively as civic participants.” Having a student board-of-education member would contribute significantly to serving that purpose, not only for the  student who serves, but for the rest of the student body, to whom the message is sent that their voices do matter which, hopefully, will translate into the truth that their voices as voters later in life will make a difference.

Simply put, having a student board-of-education member shows that the Voorheesville district values civic-mindedness and involvement, and gives the student board member invaluable insight and experience, as well as the student body a voice on the board.

State law provides for the proper and necessary safeguards that address what might be some of the more common concerns about putting a student member on a board of education. For example, student members are not allowed to attend executive sessions, and therefore will not be privy to confidential or other sensitive information, nor are they permitted to vote on board matters.

With those guardrails in place, I am at a loss to come up with a rational reason why our community should not seize this wonderful opportunity.

Please vote “yes” on May 17, 2022 to place a student member on the Voorheesville Central School District Board of Education.

Matthew E. Bergeron

Voorheesville