School board’s goals may include boosting student voter registration

Onteora trustees are considering whether to include increasing voter registration among students as a Board of Education goal.

The issue was raised during a board meeting Tuesday. Trustee Kevin Salem said the effort should be an extension of attempts to improve civics education among students, including how leadership within the district is addressed.

“I think the board should reaffirm its commitment to student government,” he said. “That’s a big part of this, but I think this goal, more than any of the others, has this component of ... how do we engage in the process of seeing it through?”

The goal seeking to “increase student knowledge and engagement in civics, grades (kindergarten) though 12” was reviewed as part of a discussion on whether efforts during the past academic year had been successful and should continue during 2019-20. Trustee Bennett Ratcliff said seeking more participation in student government begs the question of whether the students are aware they can also participate in local, state and federal government.

“One of the things we may want to additionally look at is ... (at) 17 years old, do they know they can register to vote,” he said. “Are they going to register to vote? Are they not going to register to vote? Are they making that type of decision or is it just a decision that is overlooked?”

Ratcliff said the district has classes that provide other fundamental information about living in society.

“What is the role that we have?” he said. “We do teach driver’s education . ... So to have students know that they can register to vote just like students know they should go get a driver’s license is I think something we play a role in.”

Board members said the effort could be coordinated through student government.

“I know that not only has the administration ... considered this, but I know some teachers and students have on their own done it,” Salem said. “What is the board’s role in pursuing this goal and how do we maintain our ... level of engagement on a goal like this? That’s something when we set our goals specificity (is needed), not just in outcomes, but in process, too.”