Sophomores John Tower and Alivia Hopkins-Estus were chosen by the Tupper Lake Central School District Board of Education to serve as student representatives on the board. (Provided photo — Tupper Lake Central School District)

TUPPER LAKE — The new year will see two new faces on the Tupper Lake Central School District’s Board of Education.

The board voted unanimously in executive session at their Dec. 2 meeting to accept the applications of students Alivia Hopkins-Estus and John Tower, who are both sophomores and lifelong Tupper Lakers, to join the board as ex-officio student representatives.

“Both students completed the applications thoughtfully, had excellent recommendations and insightful essay responses,” said TLCSD Superintendent Jaycee Welsh. She added that the board was moved by the duo’s desire to channel the concerns of their fellow students and look out for the greater good of the school community.

“(Their essays) included personal insights as well as altruistic intentions for incorporating student voice to our board of education,” Welsh said.

The two student members will not have voting powers and won’t attend or be informed about what is discussed in executive sessions — confidential portions of the meeting — or other board meetings not open to the public. This includes appeal hearings to the Board of Education related to contests over student suspension, according to Welsh.

The board’s decision follows a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 12, which requires every school district to have at least one ex-officio student board member. The law goes into effect on July 1. Welsh said that districts are allowed to move into compliance ahead of the deadline, and thought it was important and beneficial for the TLCSD to get an early jump on it.

The district met its goal of adding students to the board by January. The district opened an application to all students in grades nine through 12 earlier in the fall. The application invited students to answer a series of questions about how they would contribute in their role, gather letters of recommendation from staff and community members and provide a personal statement.

While the board made the ultimate selections, the application process was organized by Middle-High school Principal Chris Savage and Guidance Counselor Brian Bennett. Welsh said in October that the law gave districts wide latitude in how to select student board members. She commended the two at the October board meeting for their research into the process, noting how they reached out to other districts that already had ex-officio student board members to look into best practices.

Welsh said at the district’s Oct. 7 board meeting that they will be able to use the second half of this school year to “figure out what works best” ahead of the state’s deadline. She and the board members expressed support for the new law at the meeting, with Welsh calling it “a good practice” to have student voices at the table.

Savage will work with the two students ahead of the January board meeting to get them up to speed with matters before the board, according to Welsh.

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Students speak

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Hopkins-Estus said she felt compelled to apply for the position out of a desire to help her fellow students.

“School is hard enough for people and if there is anything I can do to help, I always try to do so,” she said, adding that she is not afraid to speak her mind on issues that she feels are impactful to her and other students.

“I am very outspoken and willing to ask questions when I need to,” she said. “I will speak up when needed to get my point or others’ points across.”

Tower said it was imperative to have a student voice at the table given that board policies impact some students from elementary school to graduation.

“It is important to have a say in the school as you are in this high school for an average of four years, not including middle school,” he said.

One issue that students are concerned about, according to Tower, is school lunches. He said some students feel that they are too small and express disdain that they are unable to get second servings of the main entree. He also said some students want to have the option to wear hats in school buildings if they wish.

Hopkins-Estus added the dress code and cell phone use were two issues that she has seen students express concern about.

“Many students feel like the dress code stops their ability to express themselves, but we all still need to remember that school policies are there,” she said. “Cell phone usage is also a larger issue because of disruption in classes and again policies for classrooms and study halls.”

Hopkins-Estus and Tower said students appreciate the variety of clubs, athletics and other extracurricular opportunities that the district offers.

Hopkins-Estus also pointed to the academic opportunities available to them. She said most students “value their education very much” and appreciate the opportunity to take Advanced Placement classes, which are offered by the College Board — a nonprofit association that focuses on preparing high schoolers for the academic rigors that college presents while they are still in high school.

“We all like having our AP and advanced classes to be able to fly above and beyond,” she said.

As student board members, both want to learn new skills and information. Hopkins-Estus said she wants to improve her public speaking and leadership skills. For Tower, the devil is in the details.

“I hope to learn a lot from the school board including all of the tiny details of Tupper Lake’s problems I might not have known about before joining the school board,” he said.

While they are both currently sophomores, Hopkins-Estus and Tower both expressed a desire to attend a four-year college after graduation. Hopkins-Estus is interested in a career in the medical field and Tower wants to become a professional baseball player.

TLCSD Board of Education meetings are open to the public and are usually held at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at the Michelle A. LaMere Library, inside the L. P. Quinn Elementary School at 294 Hosely Ave. The January meeting was moved to Monday, Jan. 13. The time and location are the same as usual as of press time Monday evening.