School board members create policies that directly affect students
By Olivia Keller
For the first time ever, the school board elections will correspond with the presidential elections this year. But with few personalinteractions with the school board, many students may be wondering how they impact the lives of our students and why they are important.
According to school board President Mark Boone, the goal of the school board is “to provide an outstanding education in a safe, nurturing environment where all are challenged to reach their maximum potential as respectful, responsible, contributing members of a diverse society.”
The school board takes on bigger ideas and situations like their recent decision to adopt the International Baccalaureate Diploma and to offer more AP Classes.
“Our decisions affect students but not necessarily on the day-to- day happenings of school life.” Boone said. “We set policies on a broad level and teachers and staffs decide how to get you there.”
Although many people may not know, the school board does directly impact the students of NAHS. They approve many budgets and help strategic planning with the superintendent. They help decide how things are going to be run in our school.
But, as Boone said, “We are not directly involved on building level issues like who teaches third period English, who the track coach is, or what is served for lunch.”
This year for the elections there are the district 3 and 4 seats and an at-large seat. The district seats are there to represent their district, and it is a countywide vote. The atlarge seats are representative of the who county and is also a county wide vote. A change this year to the ballot if is that the candidates will not have a party by their name so they will not be considered Republican or Democrat. Instead it will give voters a nonpartisan and nonpolitical view because the school board is also nonpartisan. It’s now more about their ideas and views not their party.
Currently there are four at-large candidates, two for District 3, and two for District 4. Each candidate had their own views on how they think things should be run here. So this year when young voters head to the polls, they need to be ready to make some decisions and vote for people that may impact the rest of their high school careers.