Central high school districts; number and election of members of board of education

§ 1901. Central high school districts; number and election of members of board of education. 1. Existing central high school districts are continued. Boards of education of such central high school districts heretofore established shall continue as constituted under the order of the commissioner. The number of their members shall be not less than five. There shall be at least one member of such a board from each common school district and at least two from each union free school district within the central high school district. The board of education of each union free school district in each such central high school district shall appoint the number of persons so designated by the commissioner to represent such district as members of the board of education of such central high school district. In each common school district having a sole trustee, such trustee shall represent such district as a member of the board of education of such central high school district. If a common school district have three trustees, such board of trustees shall designate one of its members to represent such district as a member of such board of education. The persons so designated shall be members of the board of education of the central high school district during their terms of office as members of the board of education or as trustees of the districts respectively represented by them. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of a member of the board of education of such central high school district, it shall be filled as above provided.

2. Each central high school district shall establish a process for designating at least one student as an ex officio member pursuant to paragraph c of this subdivision. If, prior to August fifth, two thousand three, a school district had a policy that allowed a student or students to be ex officio members of the school board, such policy shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this subdivision and shall be deemed to have full legal effect. In any district that contains more than one high school, such process shall take into consideration the number of high schools within the district and shall provide for a mechanism which allows for fair representation among the schools. Such district shall allow such selected student or students to serve as ex officio members of such board of education, and provided further that:

a. The ex officio student members of the board shall be entitled to sit with board members at all public meetings and hearings of the board and may participate in other board activities and responsibilities at the discretion of the board.

b. The ex officio student members of the board shall not be allowed to vote, shall not be allowed to attend executive session or any other meetings or hearings not open to the public, and shall not be entitled to receive compensation of any form for participating at board meetings.

c. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the ex officio student members of the board may be any of the following: the student that has been duly elected as student president of the high school; a student duly elected by the student body; a student selected by the high school student government; a student selected by the high school principal; a student selected by the superintendent of schools; a student selected by majority vote of the school board.

d. The ex officio student members shall have attended such high school for at least one year prior to selection.