Student representatives active on school board

MICHAEL J. WILLIAMS
Staff Writer

VISTA ---- Four teenagers sitting with Vista Unified School District board trustees helped critique a momentous proposal this week to change elementary school attendance boundaries.

Their newfound assertiveness illustrated how this group of high school upperclassmen is redefining the role occupied by student representatives to the district's board of trustees.

Most school districts invite high school student representatives to sit on the same dais with the elected board, although they rarely speak during hearings.

In contrast, Cody Campbell, Heather Hart, Stephen LaFata and Catherine Miserany have been routinely vocal and even occasionally outspoken in the four months they have been serving as student advisers to the board.

"In the past, we've had a couple students who were more active than their peers on the board," said board President David Hubbard. "I think as a group, the ones we have now are certainly the most active we've had.

"They are increasingly vocal and it's not just one of them. All of them seem to want to provide their input, and I'm really glad they do."

Hubbard, who was first elected to the board in 1994, was speaking not only from his experience as the district's longest reigning trustee. He was Vista High School's representative to the district board during his senior year in 1980-81.

"It was a great experience, and had I not done it, I don't know necessarily if I would have bothered as an adult to have run for the board," Hubbard said. "It was a little daunting in that a lot of things the school boards have to deal with relate to facilities and finances, topics that you don't usually touch on at 17 years old."

The perspective of today's student board members echoes Hubbard's observations on the value of his experience 22 years ago.

"I've learned the way my school works and I've learned the way the school district works," said Miserany, Vista High School's representative. "High school students are famous for always complaining, but I've learned that there's always something we can do about it. There's an action we can take to make our school or community better, rather than just complaining about it."

The often contentious discussions among the five elected board members also have served as an eye-opener to the students on the nature of politics and decision-making.

"I've learned a lot about how people interact with one another and how they respond to certain situations they're put in," said Hart, who represents Guajome Park Academy. "You can see that not everyone gets along and responds well to everybody else. It adds another layer of depth when people who don't share the same views and don't always get along together are able to unite and solve problems."

LaFata, Rancho Buena Vista High School's representative, views the sometimes spiky exchanges between board members as examples of how not to behave as an elected representative.

"Unfortunately, it's a very polarized board," LaFata said. "The political atmosphere is very contentious. It is very disheartening and disillusioning and a very immature way to show leadership to students."

LaFata, Hart and Miserany were elected by the associated student bodies at their schools to the post. Campbell, who attends the Palomar High independent study program, represents both that program and Alta Vista High, the district's continuation high school.

Campbell has been the most outspoken of the four student board members, even to the extent of reprimanding a trustee and filing a complaint alleging conflicts of interest with the district attorney's office. Not surprisingly, Campbell said his career aspiration is to be a prosecuting attorney.

"I've noticed some of the student members in the past have been observers and just sat there, but I thought to actively represent the interests of students at Alta Vista and Palomar, I would take an active role and stance," Campbell said. "I think (student participation) allows administrators and board members to see that the whole purpose of their job is to serve the students of the district."

Though aggressive interactions from the students could be potentially disruptive, Trustee Jim Gibson said he welcomes their activism.

"They're doing their own thing within the system and that's the way it's supposed to be," Gibson said. "The fact that I may disagree with their ideas or conclusions doesn't have anything to do with it. They're there to learn and be involved, and this is how you learn."

The student members are advisory only and their votes carry no official weight. Yet, each of the four representatives this year believe their observations make a difference.

"They're becoming a force to be reckoned with," Hubbard said. "You look out in the audience and you can see they're hitting nerves. They're scoring points. You have to give them credit."

Contact Vista Bureau Chief Michael J. Williams at (760) 631-6621 or mwilliams@nctimes.com.

1/19/03

© 2006. Paid for and authorized by Cody Campbell for School Board 2006, FPPC ID# 1290192.