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MILL HALL -- Following the request for more of a voice in its schools, Central Mountain and Bucktail high schools are beginning to form Student Governments.
The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors heard from representatives at both locations about the steps they've taken to solidify student government organizations during its work session Thursday night.
Four students from Central Mountain High School, along with advisors Douglas Madenford and Lindsay Kalbach, offered a rundown of its activities in the new year.
CMHS Senior Elise Cygan said the idea to form a student government came after students attended school board meetings in early 2023 regarding various issues they faced.
From there, Cygan said, students met with school administrators.
"In those meetings we realized that a new form of student government was needed to give students a voice and to open communication with administrators," she said.
Cygan said students and advisors continue to meet regularly and have done research into the best methods of establishing a student government.
Claire Bowman, a junior, reviewed the organization's progress, structure and positions.
According to Bowman, the group's first goal was to create a student board representative position.
"This was the most important issue to us and we know it's important to you as well," she told the board.
Bowman said members of student government will run for the position and be elected by their peers.
"The person with the most votes will be the representative and the person with the second most votes will be the alternate if the speaker should be unavailable," she said.
The representative will attend the school board's monthly work session and "speak on positive and negative issues students hear, see and experience on a daily basis," she explained.
Other positions that will be created and elected into place are a president, vice president, secretary, parliamentarian and communications officer.
"At the end of every school year in May, people will run for office and be elected by popular vote," Bowman said.
Bowman said each grade level will be tasked with electing students to join the student government, to represent them.
"We have spoken about a system where we would explain the position to students, gather statements from (those) who are interested and have gotten recommendations from a previously had teacher," she said.
From there, the student would read their statement as a grade level assembly and their peers would use paper ballots to vote for their representative.
"This ensures a fair opportunity for candidates to be heard by classmates, make sure all kids are aware for the position, who is running and when they are to vote," Bowman said.
Bowman noted the group is currently in the process of completing its constitution and bylaws to have a foundation moving forward.
"We're really working hard on making sure our constitution and bylaws are set before we take any action," Madenford said. "Because we want to have a firm set of rules so that everyone understands how things work moving forward. For a smoother transition as some of these kids graduate and new kids come in."
Senior Sofia Dressler broke down how the group hopes student government can "be a bridge between the general student body and the administration governing them."
Student government, Dressler said, will contain four parts: elected officers, elected representatives, the general student body and the administrators and board members.
Elected officers will be tasked with meeting administrators on behalf of the student body. Times of meetings will be determined at a later day, Dressler said.
Representatives are the students elected from each grade level to represent their student body, she said.
"Representatives will decide what topics the officers will bring to the administration in their meetings as well as vote on any changes to the constitution," she said.
Dressler said any member of the student body will be able to attend monthly town hall-style meetings to voice their opinions or concerns. These concerns will be considered by representatives and officers.
As for the administration and school board. Dressler noted its importance.
"You are what makes this happen. We bring all of our ideas and concerns to you," she said. "The goal of student government is to work cohesively with the student body and administration."
Students interested in informing this body of government have taken ideas from both research and knowledge gathered from local legislators.
MaKenna Gray, a junior at CMHS, said members of the Student Government Committee attended a Senator for a Day conference with Senator Cris Dush at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.
"We learned about how our state House and Senate work, how a formal debate operates and how policies are introduced and passed," Gray said.
Students worked in committees based on their own interests such as education, state government and environmental resources.
"We experienced what it is like to be part of a government and we're excited to take on the responsibility of implementing a government of our own," she said.
Madenford commended the four students and their peers for their work so far.
"They are full of great ideas," he said. "They are really thinking about the whole student body."
"We have a lot of faith in them, in what they're doing, and we know that this group is going to move forward and make some really positive changes at Central Mountain," he continued.
Bucktail Principal James Poleto spoke about the Renovo-based school's steps so far. Poleto spoke in place of student Martin Lewis who was unable to make it to the meeting.
Poleto said the formation of a student government is coming along well at Bucktail. He noted plans are to take a field trip to Central Mountain to see how its elections will take place.