Committee hears H.640 to add student members to school boards; students urge voting seats for high schoolers

Montpelier — The House Committee on Education heard testimony Jan. 30 on H.640, a bill that would require school districts organized to provide secondary education to include student members on their boards, with voting members from grades 9 through 12 and non‑voting members for grades 7 and 8.

Representative Leanne Harpel, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the idea came from students who participated in a Governor's Institute program and drafted the proposal. Harpel said the intent is to “put our trust in the voices of young people,” and emphasized the bill is meant to give students a seat at the table as decisions about education affect them directly.

Beth St. James of the Office of Legislative Counsel walked the committee through the bill language. Under the proposed amendments to the school board chapter (Title 16), each district organized to provide grades 9–12 would have one voting student member from each grade — for a total of four voting student members regardless of the number of high schools in the district. Districts that provide for grades 7–8 would have one non‑voting student member from each of those grades. The bill requires student members to be residents of the district and enrolled in a district‑operated school for the duration of their term, and says appointments would be made by the superintendent following a process adopted by the school board. The act would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Students who helped draft the bill told the committee they want meaningful, not token, influence. "Students have no real power to create meaningful change while the adults in the room have the power to treat their voices as secondary opinions," said Libby Gable, a junior at South Burlington High School, during testimony. Issa Harrington, also a junior at South Burlington, told the panel students experience school policy outcomes firsthand and that existing student leadership structures often "provide next to no support for students wanting to create meaningful change."

Cashel Higgins, a senior and current student board representative from Harvard Union High School, described serving as a non‑voting student member and participating in budget discussions. Higgins said the experience has been valuable but limited, noting his board has approved budgets that included deep cuts — including, he said, reductions that once totaled roughly $6.5 million in spending and the elimination of about 50 teaching positions. "This legislation is an opportunity to instill the importance of our education system and the need for its reform in countless students across Vermont," Higgins said.

Committee members asked how student members would be chosen and raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, such as involvement in decisions on personnel or contract renewals. Counsel and witnesses said the bill anticipates a board‑adopted selection process that could include applications, essays and interviews, and said language could be added to limit student participation in personnel matters. Harpel acknowledged some people worry about minors voting on budgets but noted the state is also considering broader changes to how budgets are decided.

Witnesses noted other jurisdictions with student representation: New Hampshire and New York allow voting student members in some cases, and Massachusetts requires student advisory structures though not a voting seat in the same way. Mayla Linus Marnell, a member of the Vermont State Youth Council, told the committee the council (about 25–30 youth across the state) has already discussed H.640 and has worked with legislators to refine student engagement approaches.

The committee took testimony from multiple students and advocates but recorded no motion or vote on the bill in this session. The committee planned to reconvene later the same morning.