Three Bensalem High Students Join School Board

Three Bensalem High School seniors now hold a seat on the district’s school board. Anna Marks, Daphne Gao, and Jay Kamdar will present a monthly report at action meetings. They were selected from a pool of roughly 35 applicants, according to Principal Geoffrey Per.

The students are seniors at Bensalem High School. Their role involves attending monthly board sessions. They report on current events and initiatives within the school. This gives them a direct line to the district’s decision-making body.

During the October meeting, the trio updated board members on several items. They discussed the recent bonfire event at the high school. They also reported on a soccer victory against Holy Ghost Preparatory School. The group shared details on the ongoing Mini-THON shoe drive.

Principal Geoffrey Per praised the students’ selection. He noted that the three represent the wider student body well. “I’ll tell anyone that wants to listen: these three kids, not only do they have a bright future, they’re way smarter than me, and they are a great example of our wonderful students here at the high school,” Per said.

Jay Kamdar described the initial prospect of attending board meetings as daunting. He felt the process was not very accessible to students. However, his first session in September proved to be digestible. He found the language manageable and the environment open to public participation. Kamdar plans to pursue a political career. He views the role as an opportunity to learn about local civics.

Kamdar said the meetings provide insights into school activities he might otherwise miss. “What are the kids that are also my friends achieving, and how significant are those achievements?” Kamdar said. He noted that the meetings allow students to understand the scale of their peers' accomplishments.

Daphne Gao cited a lack of communication between the board and students as her motivation. She wanted to assume a leadership role to speak for her classmates. “I wanted to be able to have that leadership role to be able to speak for people at BHS and represent them,” Gao said. She has lived in the district her whole life. Gao said she previously did not know the details of the board's behind-the-scenes work.

Gao found it gratifying to see the effort adults make to improve student life. She believes the public needs to experience the meetings to understand the work being done. “To know that there’s like a group of adults behind you, trying to make your life better on a day-to-day basis is really gratifying for me,” Gao said.

Anna Marks said attending the meetings was illuminating. She had seen agendas before but had not observed the deliberation process in action. “It wasn’t really arguing, but going back and forth on stuff and seeing the deliberation happen and seeing how the things that really impact our school district come out,” Marks said.

Marks is interested in observing how board members handle disagreement. She believes character is revealed during adversity. “I think that the true character comes out of people when they’re faced with adversity,” Marks said. “So I’d love to see that come out of the school board and see who everyone really is and like how they can find a respectful conclusion.” Superintendent Victoria Velazquez stated that student voices are essential to the district's progress. “Sometimes we learn a lot more from them than they do from us,” Velazquez said. “That’s why it’s important their voice is heard all the time.”