The Lyndonville Board of Education approved the appointment of Sawyer Wilson, a senior at Lyndonville High School, to serve as its first student ex officio member during its October BOE meeting.
The voters approved a referendum in May authorizing the LCSD Board to appoint a student to serve as an ex officio member. To be eligible for appointment, a student member must be a rising senior and attended the district’s high school for at least two years prior to the selection. In addition, the student must have student government experience and be approved by the superintendent.
Sawyer Wilson, a life-long resident of Lyndonville, has attended LCSD since kindergarten. He has been a member of the student council for a few years and was elected student president this fall.
Superintendent Jason Smith stated, “I have known Sawyer for eight years. He is a conscientious, hard-working student. I am confident he will be an asset to our Board of Education and will provide a true student perspective.”
Wilson’s first board meeting as an ex officio member is November 12. Wilson will sit with the board members at all public meetings, will participate in all board hearings/meetings and will provide monthly reports. As an ex officio member, he will not be allowed to attend executive sessions or receive any compensation. Wilson will serve as a non-voting member through June 2020.
The senior is excited about being the first student to sit on the LCSD Board of Education. “The Board does a lot that we (the students) don’t see but we feel. I hope to help students appreciate and understand this. I would like to provide the student perspective to decisions that are being made.”
Sawyer is the son of Darren and Wendy Wilson. He plans to apply to Geneseo and Nazareth Colleges and majoring in childhood education with a minor in political science or theatre.