Decatur School Board swears in its first-ever student representative

Decatur High School Senior Sophia D’Elena was sworn in as the student representative to the Decatur School Board on Tuesday.
Decatur School Board Student Apprentice Nia Batra and Student Representative Sophia D'Elena (front row) with School Board Members Hans Utz, Jana Johnson-Davis, James Herndon, Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker, Board Members Carmen Sutton and Tracy Anderson and DHS Principal Duane Sprull on May 14, 2024. D'Elena was sworn in on Aug. 13. (Zoe Seiler/Decaturish)

Decatur High School Senior Sophia D’Elena was sworn in as the student representative to the Decatur School Board during the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday.

According to CSD, the district is the first in the state to have a student representative take an oath of office and serve on the school board. Decatur High students interested in running for the position had to declare their candidacy this spring and were elected by their peers in ninth through 11th grades.

Additionally, a Decatur High junior will serve as the apprentice to prepare to be the student representative during their senior year. This year, Nia Batra will serve as the first apprentice. Both students received a warm welcome from the school board and CSD staff during the Aug. 13 school board meeting.

“The apprentice is expected to provide input, which might include requests or preferences of students, to the student board representative,” Chief of Staff Amanda Lynch previously said.