When 17-year-old Kennedy Cole, student body president at Booker High School, realized she had to leave class to speak at a Sarasota County School Board meeting, something clicked. The board was meeting at 10 a.m., right in the middle of the school day, which meant students couldn’t participate without skipping class. Parents working traditional jobs faced the same problem. After months of feedback from families, teachers, and especially student activists like Cole, the School Board finally listened. This week they voted 3-2 to move regular meetings back to 6 p.m., starting in August.
The shift might sound small, but it opens doors. Evening meetings mean working parents can actually show up to discuss policies affecting their kids. Students can attend without choosing between education and civic engagement. Board members Tom Edwards and Liz Barker made the case that this brings the community back into the conversation. Even though Board Chair Bridget Ziegler and board member Karen Rose voted against the change, the 3-2 vote moved forward, signaling that the majority heard the community’s message loud and clear.
For Sarasota County families, this is a win for accessibility and representation. When you can’t attend the meetings that shape education decisions, your voice doesn’t get heard. Now, families have a real chance to show up. What issues at your child’s school do you wish you had more of a voice in?
