Teen would have to abstain from some votes
By Justin A. Hinkley
Battle Creek Enquirer
ATHENS, Mich. (AP) — For Athens high school student Eric McClure, government class might seem a bit of tired academia. After all, he’s lived a lot of the stuff his textbook talks about.
That’s because the 18-year-old Athens High School senior — a writer for the school paper, the Athens Echo — is running in the Nov. 6 election for one of two open seats on the Athens Area Schools Board of Education.
He’s hoping to unseat one of two incumbents, Dan Loew or Kendra Falk, who are running for re-election. Efforts to reach them for comment on this story were unsuccessful.
Local officials could think of no other time a current student had run for a seat on a school board.
Rich Franklin, the Athens superintendent, said he checked with the Michigan Association of School Boards on whether a current student was allowed to run for the school board. As an adult registered voter, he can, Franklin said. Just like any other board member, he would have to recuse himself from votes on issues that could benefit him or with which he has personal ties.
Board members elected in November begin their terms in January, so McClure would serve roughly one semester as both student and district trustee before graduation. During that time, the teen said, he would abstain from votes on the hiring or firing of teachers, on student discipline issues and on school policies that could benefit him.
He’s also excused himself from writing about the school election for the Echo.
But McClure said he decided to run after covering some of the school board meetings for the school paper. The district, facing a deficit budget caused by declining enrollment and state funding cuts, was making steep cuts and McClure said he and several other students were unhappy with the decisions board members made.
“As a student, I’ve experienced some of the cutbacks firsthand,” he said. “I think that can give me that different view on things.”
And he hopes his run will give a different view to his usually apolitical classmates. McClure said he’s used his candidacy to prove to his classmates they have a voice, that they can get involved. He said several of his fellow students didn’t even know they could attend board meetings.
He’s also made sure every eligible student was registered to vote. In the rural district, that was five or six kids. McClure said he hopes to count them as supporters on Election Day.
Some of his classmates are taking notice.
“He’s so close to the problems we have as students,” said Aalyah Eguia, another 17-year-old senior. “Maybe he can really get it across to the board.”
If he wins, McClure said he can serve the four-year term, even after graduation. He plans to spend two years at Kellogg Community College and then hopes to transfer to nearby Western Michigan University, where he’ll study political science. Board members have to live in the districts they serve.
But even if he loses, McClure said the race has further piqued his interest in local issues. He said he’ll stay involved and continue to press for more student voices in local politics.
