Residents of the Canajoharie Central School District will vote by absentee ballot on the $22,610,925 proposed budget for the 2020-21 school year.
The ballot also will include a proposition to establish a non-voting student representative position on the Board of Education.
The ex-officio student member would attend and participate in all board meetings. However, as an ex-officio member, the student would not vote and would not participate in confidential executive sessions. To be eligible for the position, student candidates must have attended Canajoharie High School for at least two years before the appointment and be a senior during the year of service.
Meet Canajoharie senior, Tyler Pinkerton, the current Student Representative on the Board of Education.
“I found out about this position through the previous Student Representative, Olivia Stanley, when she recommended the position to me,” said Pinkerton.
The Student Representative position is not new to Canajoharie. The position was brought before voters in the 2016-2017 budget vote.
“I believe that the Student Representative position is critical as it allows for the board to hear directly from a student how different changes affect our learning. I have been able to listen to and understand the perspectives of other students. “
As the Student Representative, the student will collect the viewpoints of different students who wouldn’t exactly feel comfortable voicing their opinions and share them with the board directly.
“The most fulfilling part of this position is knowing that I make a difference by displaying the successes of new implementations made to improve student’s learning experiences and how we could further improve different aspects of our learning environment.”
Pinkerton also stated that as a Student Representative, he had built stronger relationships with the board members had he not have considered this position.
“This experience has broadened my understanding of the school’s different aspects that I didn’t necessarily experience from day to day, increasing my appreciation for our school more and more.”
Pinkerton stated that during this time away from school, due to COVID-19 has been interesting.
“It has been interesting to see how different students have responded to our circumstances and how many have come together in different ways to make the most of our time at home and to ease the discomfort and concerns that we experience naturally in unusual circumstances.”
If the Student Representative position is approved, the board will work with the superintendent and the high school principal to define the procedures for selecting an eligible student. The board’s authority to appoint a student representative must be approved by voters and re-approved every two years.
“I want to thank the board for listening and communicating with me and for the new friendships that I have built along the way.”