Most students at Dallastown may not realize it, but one of their peers has a direct seat at the table where district-wide decisions are made. As Student Council President, senior Sophia Long also serves as the student representative on the Dallastown Area School Board, a role that connects the student body with district leadership.
Long said her sister, Michaela Long, inspired her to take on leadership.
“I went and sat through all of the board meetings she attended and watched her do everything she was asked. I thought it was so cool, and I was like, I want to do that, too,” Long said.
Now following in her sister’s footsteps, Long helps bring student perspectives to board discussions, from reporting on community service projects to highlighting events at all schools in the district. She said she enjoys balancing multiple responsibilities and connecting people at different levels of the school community.
“I like doing a bunch of things at the same time because I know it’ll help me in the future, like talking to people and talking to adults for interviews,” Long said. “I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I have.”
As the student representative, Long attends one board meeting per month and shares what students across the district are doing, from elementary school activities to high school events. She also hopes her role will help the community better understand the value of student involvement.
“I feel a lot of people don’t even know I’m the student representative,” Long said. “I want to highlight all the clubs and show what they’re doing, but not a lot of people know about what I do.”
Superintendent Joshua Doll added that this student perspective offers something adults cannot fully provide.
“While school board members, parents, and administrators may have valuable insights, they often lack recent, direct experience with the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and school environment from a student’s point of view,” Doll stated. “Student representatives play a critical role in school board discussions by bringing a firsthand perspective on the day-to-day realities of school life.”
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Heffler said that connection is exactly why the position exists.
“The Board gains invaluable input by having a student representative at our meetings. The Board makes decisions every month that directly impact the daily lives of our students. To do this effectively, we must have a direct line to the student perspective, hence the need for a student representative.”
The student representative position was added at Dallastown in the 2013-14 school year after board member Margaret Ibex recommended including a student voice in governance. Since then, the Student Council president has taken on a dual role of leading the student body and serving on the board.
“The Student Representative role was specifically created to formalize a way for the Board to gain that valuable input on student perspectives,” Heffler said. “It started because the Board recognized that the most crucial voice in our decision-making–the student voice–needed to be integrated into our process, not just consulted occasionally.”
Heffler said Long’s impact is clear.
“Sophia has been an outstanding representative of the student body over the years in her many leadership roles. Her ability to synthesize feedback from across the student body and clearly articulate is a tremendous asset to our discussions,” Heffler said.
Heffler added that while student representatives hold an advisory, non-voting seat, their role remains powerful.
“Their power lies in their voice and influence, not a ballot,” Heffler said.
The student representative role not only gives students a voice in board decisions but also offers the potential for future growth. Doll noted that expanding student involvement through advisory councils or other initiatives could create a stronger connection between students and district leadership.
That impact isn’t new. Former Student Representative Abby Sachs said serving on the board opened her eyes.
“I was able to recognize how much our district means to our community. So many people loved hearing about the amazing events going on around the district, the new and upcoming opportunities students have, and the improvements the district had been implementing,” Sachs states.
For Long, the role is more than just attending meetings. It’s an opportunity to ensure that students’ perspectives are part of the conversation.
“I hope that by the time I graduate, more people will understand the importance of student voices in the boardroom,” Long said. “It’s a privilege to be able to share our experiences and represent our peers.”
