Madison Metropolitan School District
Board of Education Policies and Procedures

POLICY	STUDENT REPRESENTATION ON SCHOOL BOARD	4501 Pupils

1. General Terms:
   1. Each year, a student representative to the School Board and an alternate will be elected from the high school student body of Madison according to the election procedure in Article II.
   2. Elected representatives will serve for one calendar year.
   3. All Madison high school students will be eligible to vote.
   4. The representative and alternate will be accountable to the students of Madison as represented by the Madison Student Senate, created according to the process detailed in article III.
   5. The rights and responsibilities of the School Board representative will be those outlined in article IV.
   6. The rights and responsibilities of the alternate will be those outlined in article V.
   7. The impeachment process will be that outlined in article VI.
   8. The MMSD employee that coordinates the election process and Madison Student Senate will be referred to as the "adult coordinator" for the rest of this document.
2. Election Process:
   1. A meeting will be held two weeks after winter break for all those interested in running for either position (student representative or alternate). At the meeting, the packets containing information about the election procedure, information about the rights and responsibilities of both positions, a timeline, and forms necessary for candidacy will be distributed and explained. The packets will then be made available at each school.
      1. The meeting will be publicized through PA announcements, newsletters, club and support group meetings, student council, and school newspapers so that all interested candidates have the opportunity to run.
   2. To achieve candidacy, those wishing to run for student representative must turn in the following to the adult coordinator by spring break:
      1. Sheets with 30 student signatures from each of Madison's four standard high schools and 10 total signatures from alternative school programs (Shabazz, School Within a School, etc. )
      2. A paragraph of between 150 and 250 words detailing their qualifications and platform.
      3. Proof of attendance of at least three School Board meetings during the school year in which the student wishes to run (speaker forms, agendas, statements signed by BOARD members, etc. are all valid)

      Students wishing to run for alternate representative must turn in half the number of signatures and proof of attendance of only one School Board meeting.

   3. At the first School Board meeting in April, the School Board President will announce the candidates for the student representative and alternate positions. Each high school's student paper and all Madison newspapers will be notified regarding the list of candidates.
   4. If more than three candidates qualify for either position, a primary election will be held to eliminate all but three candidates. If no more than three candidates qualify, proceed to item 6.
   5. The primary election will be held 10 days after the announcement of the candidates at a special homeroom held in each school. Each student will receive a paper including each students' platform paragraph, high school of origin, and grade. Each student will vote for three of the candidates for each position on a scan tron ballot; all ballots would be turned in to the adult coordinator by the following afternoon.
   6. Results from the primary election will be announced in the form of a press release sent to all school administrations, student councils, school newspapers, and Madison newspapers by Friday of that week. Winning and losing candidates will be personally notified by mail at the same time.
   7. Upon the determination of the final candidates, all school newspapers and Madison newspapers will receive a copy of each finalists' platform statement.
   8. The week after the final candidates are determined, a public forum will be held at the Doyle Administration Building. All Madison students will be invited to attend. After each candidate introduces himself or herself briefly, there will be a question and answer session where every candidate has an opportunity to respond to each question. The public forum will be recorded and played back on the school district's cable channel.
   9. All final candidates will be given space on the district's computers to set up web pages supporting their campaigns.
   10. On the second Tuesday after the announcement of the final candidates, each of the three finalists for each seat will tour the five major Madison high schools (including Shabazz). Each candidate will give a five minute speech at each school before the students. Schools may decide how to run the assemblies for the speeches; where possible, the whole student body should be encouraged to attend. The principal of each school will decide how to run the assembly. Candidates may use audio and visual aids. After the speeches, candidates will interact with students in a fifteen minute question and answer period.
   11. The final election will be held on the second Wednesday after the announcement of the candidates in the same fashion as the primary elections detailed above, except that instead of three votes, each student will cast one vote.
   12. The final election results will be announced by the process outlined in II. 6 on the Friday following the final elections.
   13. New representatives will begin their terms on the first day of summer in the year in which they are elected.
   14. Students will be allowed to raise and/or spend no more than $150 or its equivalent value in materials in the election. Donations of materials should be evaluated at reasonable market rates. Accounts of spending will be turned in to the School Board President by the afternoon of the speeches.
3. Madison Student Senate
   1. The Madison Student Senate (MSS) will take the place of the current High School Leadership Council.
      1. The MSS will be composed of eight representatives chosen from each school, (including at least one student from each school's student council), the losing candidates from each final election, and the student representative and alternate.
      2. Although each school may choose its own method for choosing representatives to the MSS, it is suggested that all students be informed of its existence, applications be made available to all students, and the representatives be chosen from among the applicants by a committee consisting of a teacher, a minority coordinator, a principal, and a class council or student council officer.
   2. The purpose of the MSS will be as follows.
      1. The MSS will function as a medium for communication between students and the School Board representative. Members will report to their student councils and schoolmates the results of each meeting and gather suggestions and concerns to relate to the student rep at each meeting.
      2. The MSS will perform the duties currently performed by the High School Leadership Council and Multicultural Leadership Council.
      3. The MSS will provide a framework for collaboration between all of Madison's high school students.
   3. The MSS will operate like a legislative body, utilizing parliamentary procedure.
   4. The MSS will be chaired by the alternate student representative, just as the U. S. Senate is chaired by the Vice President.
   5. The MSS will elect five members to join the student representative and alternate in a seven member executive council.
      1. The executive council will be composed of the student representative and alternate, a secretary, and four general members.
      2. The elections will be held at the second meeting of the MSS. Students may run for secretary, for general membership in the executive council, or for both. Each candidate will give a speech of up to three minutes. Each student will cast one vote for the secretary and one vote for one general executive council candidate.
      3. By allowing each student a total of one vote for four positions, a more diverse executive council will be ensured.
      4. The executive council will oversee the MSS and give the student representative more rapid and direct feedback about student concerns and his or her actions.
      5. The executive council will meet for half an hour before each MSS meeting and as necessary.
      6. The secretary will take the minutes of each executive council and MSS meeting and bring them to subsequent meetings.
   6. The MSS will meet once a month at a regular location. All members of the MSS will receive a schedule for the year with times, dates, and locations of all of its meetings at the first meeting.
   7. Any group wishing to present opinions or information before the MSS may request that the alternate put that group on the agenda of the next MSS meeting. The MSS will respectfully consider all requests from all Madison students, including those of middle school students.
4. Rights & Responsibilities of the Student Representative
   1. The student School Board representative will represent the interests of Madison students on the School Board.
   2. He or she will function in all standard capacities of School Board members except for those prohibited by law (voting and participation in certain closed (executive) sessions). Although the student representative on the School Board cannot cast an official vote or appear in certain closed (executive) sessions, he/she may cast an advisory vote in those meetings in which he/she is not prohibited from attending.
   3. In the interest of preventing excessive workloads, the student representative will not be expected, required, or encouraged to participate in committees not relating to the interests of students.
   4. The student representative will write a brief, monthly column for publication in each high school's newspaper detailing the current activities of the School Board. This column will also be distributed to middle schools.
   5. Within six weeks of the beginning of the school year, the student representative will schedule a meeting to which all middle school student council presidents will be invited. At the meeting, the student representative will explain how middle school students can reach him or her and/or present before the MSS.
   6. Like the other members of the School Board, the student representative will be mailed all School Board agendas and informational papers.
   7. The student representative will receive one elective high school credit. The credit will go on record as pass/fail. The publicly elected School Board will decide whether to pass or fail the student (or, as necessary, whether to award a fraction of a credit).
5. Rights & Responsibilities of the Alternate
   1. The alternate student representative to the School Board will serve as president of the Madison Student Senate, assist the School Board representative, and perform the duties of the School Board representative in his or her absence.
   2. The alternate will meet with the adult coordinator in the week preceding each meeting of the MSS to set its agenda.
   3. The alternate will attend public forum meetings of the School Board and all of those meetings of the School Board that the student representative is unable to attend.
   4. The student representative may request to be mailed School Board agendas and informational papers.
   5. The student representative will receive one half of an elective high school credit. The credit will go on record as pass/fail. The School Board, including the student representative, will decide whether to pass or fail the alternate (or, as necessary, whether to award a fraction of a credit).
6. Impeachment
   1. Grounds for impeachment include complete or near complete neglect of duties and/or actions contrary to the interests of the students.
   2. Both the School Board and the Madison Student Senate have the power to initiate proceedings for the impeachment of the student representative by a 2/3 majority vote.
   3. The student representative must be notified one week before the proceedings.
   4. The student representative will be allowed to defend himself at the hearings.
   5. A two thirds majority vote of both the Madison Student Senate and the School Board is required to impeach a student representative.
   6. The alternate will take the place of the student representative in case of impeachment. The Madison Student Senate will elect from its members a new alternate.

1/3/05

Last Updated: Wed Nov 14 08:07:26 2007
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