Subcommittee reviews student board member policy; staff clarifies credits, representation and voting limits

Acton‑Agua Dulce Unified’s policy and management subcommittee on Sept. 10 reviewed revisions to the district’s student board member policy (referred to in the meeting as Law 91‑50), including how student service counts for elective credit, how many student representatives the board may authorize and limits on student voting.

HR director Jackie Erdrick told the subcommittee that the district’s last internal update was in February 2022 and that the California School Boards Association updated its model language in March 2025. "The student board member shall receive elective course credit for service as a student board member based on the number of equivalent daily instructional minutes for the student board member services provided," Erdrick said, explaining how time served will be translated into course credit.

The policy draft asks the board to specify whether it will seat one or two student representatives; staff noted past practice was typically one but that flexibility may be beneficial. Erdrick outlined the rights and limits of student members: they may attend all open meetings, be seated with the board and make motions, but they may not participate in closed‑session matters or be counted toward a quorum or the final numerical outcome on votes.

Chair emphasized that this is a formal policy matter, not an ad hoc decision. "This is a policy. We don't just make stuff up in here and decide to do what we're gonna do," the chair said, underscoring the process for routing recommendations through the education subcommittee and back to the full board. The subcommittee asked staff to return recommended language after clarifying whether the board wishes to authorize one or two student representatives.

The staff presentation also connected the policy to instructional continuity: staff said that district work to provide curriculum access on days students cannot attend in person helped recover lost attendance funding in prior instances. The subcommittee did not take a formal vote on the policy at the meeting; staff will bring a recommended final draft to the education subcommittee for further vetting before a full‑board reading.