RANGELEY – The Rangeley Lakes Regional School Board is considering a proposal to allow a nonvoting student representative to attend their meetings. A final decision will be made at the board’s next meeting.

The representative will be a high school student in grade 10, 11 or 12 and must sustain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. He or she must also be considered a good citizen and will be required to attend all meetings regularly. The school’s student council will organize an election for the entire school to choose the board member.

According to Michael Buckley, the new school superintendent and principal, the idea of a student board member is to strengthen communication between the board and students. The student will be expected to facilitate discussions on all sides of an issue, particularly those important to students.

“This is a great opportunity for a student to actually participate in a public committee and learn how they function,” said Buckley. “Students have great ideas and insights, and this might even interest someone in a government career. We are interested in hearing what students have to say,” he added.

The representative will be awarded one elective credit for serving on the board for one full year. The student’s responsibilities would include regular reports from the student council, attendance at meetings, and a written summary at the end of the term.

A final vote on the proposal will be taken at the next school board meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, in the school cafeteria.