Prospect High School's leadership class wanted to see an electronic "scrolling marquee" or readerboard positioned at the corner of Prospect Road and Lawrence Expressway. The school had owned a readerboard since spring 2005, but issues at the district level delayed its installation.

Prospect students decided to get involved. They knew the scrolling marquee, like the ones already operating at Del Mar and Leigh high schools, would be an improvement. It would replace an aging letter board and numerous banners that clutter the school's fences.

However, the Campbell Union High School District was worried the sign's proposed location would interfere with traffic safety at the busy intersection.

Students advocated using the site, arguing it would be a prime location for communicating school events.

"We go there every day; we know where we wanted it to be," says Prospect High School senior Caroline Ogawa, Associated Student Body president.

In addition to the district's concerns, the city of Saratoga has an ordinance banning moving signs.

The leadership class drafted a petition, which was signed by teachers, parents and students. Caroline took it to the Campbell Union High School District board of trustees.

She was the logical choice; after all, she is one of its members.

Caroline and alternate Leigh High School senior Kari Fujii are the two student board members who sit with the five elected district members at each board meeting. The teenagers also run the district's student advisory board, a group of student leaders from the district's five traditional high schools.

Students have voice

Caroline flexed her leadership muscle at the Dec. 9, 2005, board meeting, where she presented Prospect's issue on the electronic readerboard sign to the district.

Caroline's request sparked a response. Prospect High School Principal Rita Matthews and district director of support services John Nolen met separately with Saratoga's public works department to reach a compromise.

As a result, Nolen recommended the board adopt a resolution exempting the school site from Saratoga's sign ordinance, as allowed in state code. The board passed the resolution at its Feb. 2 meeting.

"To watch that whole process was really cool," Caroline says. "I think it was awesome to see my school involved."

Now the district is working on finding the sign's best viewing angle for traffic safety. The district is also trying to cut down as few trees as possible during the installation process.

For Nolen, the process showed students how a simple thing, such as the installation of a sign, could become complicated. It also showed them that democracy can work, he says.

Since 1976, California school districts with at least one high school can have one or more student board members serve on the district governing board, according to the California Education Code.

The Campbell Union High School District followed suit, adopting a student board member provision to the board bylaws in 1992. The student board member and alternate head the Student Advisory Board. This board created in 1992 was designed to "give students a voice in the decision making process."

Student board members are selected in May by the district and serve a one-year term. They have access to all meeting materials and may participate in questioning speakers during public hearings, as well as discuss issues in open session. The student board member vote, however, is not counted when the board votes. It is "preferential." The student vote is recorded in the meeting minutes.

Caroline and Kari applied for the student board positions because they wanted to become more involved in the district. Both have participated as student leaders on their own campuses.

But her level of inclusion at meetings surprised Caroline.

"I didn't think I'd have to sit up on the panel; we even get name tags," she says.

"The first time it was a little nerve-racking," Kari says. "It definitely got so much better."

Students serving in this capacity attend the California School Boards Association annual conference with the board. Caroline and Karl went last December to San Diego. There, they met student board members from across the state and learned how to be more effective in their roles.

"Some of it still confuses me," Caroline admits. "I think I've gained a lot from it, relatively speaking. It's politics and policy on a level I can understand. It's a good way to get my feet wet."

In the Campbell Union High School District, board member and adviser Diane Gordon guides the two students.

Gordon tries to give the teenagers room to develop on their own, providing support when needed. Mostly, she enjoys watching the student board members run the Student Advisory Board meetings with confidence, navigate roadblocks on their own and find pride in their accomplishments.

Currently, the Student Advisory Board is organizing a student leadership conference for incoming eighth-graders on March 23. The high school students are planning an all-day event to educate eighth-graders on high school sports, clubs ranging from the American Red Cross Club to the Duct Tape Club, the importance of time management, and dispelling myths perpetuated in movies, such as freshman getting stuffed into lockers and trash cans.

"It gives me a great feeling about our community and the kids they're helping along," Gordon says.

Student leadership

In February, the Student Advisory Board met at Leigh High School. The group meets at least monthly and rotates its meeting location among the five high schools. The board promotes camaraderie among school leaders, the exchange of ideas between campuses and collaborative projects such as the March 23 conference.

Del Mar students and advisory board members Julia Ode and Kelsey Martinez are going over the conference's leadership session itinerary with Leigh junior and board member Vista Khosraviani.

The students say they're glad to help eighth-graders find ways to be involved in school leadership and pride. For them, leadership has made all the difference.

Vista and Kelsey enjoy representing the student body and planning activities. Julia says leadership has been a social outlet.

"Without leadership, I don't think I would've enjoyed high school so much. I've met so many people," she says.

At the end of these meetings, students from each school share news about their campuses and seek advice as needed. Some of the information includes feedback, such as the fact that Branham's faculty show and fundraiser, Grease, was a hit. Several Student Advisory Board members went to watch the show and hope their own campuses can replicate its success. The students also discuss the issue of "freak" dancing at their upcoming Sadie Hawkins dances and how to get students to act appropriately.

Caroline and Kari gather these tidbits to report to the Campbell Union High School Board of Trustees. They're the link between the students and the board.

"It's an experience about what it takes to make it work," Caroline says.