1. What is this all about?

Any big decision in Portland Public Schools (PPS) that changes student life—such as bell schedules, discipline rules, or even the lunch menu — must pass through a new Student Voice Council. If the Council rejects the idea because it hurts students’ daily well-being, PPS fixes or stops it entirely.

2. Why does it matter?

Portland loves to say it values innovation and community input, but too often, the district only offers symbolic student panels or surveys with no real influence. By creating a mandatory Student Voice Council, we ensure that actual Portland kids — ESL learners, homeless students, and others who typically get ignored — have real power to shape their education.

3. What does this Student Voice Council look like in practice?

Each high school elects its own Council, with guaranteed seats for underrepresented groups (like foster youth or English language learners). They meet regularly to review district proposals directly affecting students and can say “yes” or “no.” Once a month, members from each school form a District Student Congress that meets with the PPS Board during evening hours, so no more quick midday meetings that most students can’t attend.

4. How can this Council veto bell schedules or budget priorities?

The Council’s authority is binding. If students decide a proposed change (like shifting start times by an hour) harms daily well-being—maybe it increases transportation headaches or crushes extracurriculars—then PPS must revise or drop the proposal altogether.

5. Does PPS really have the power to implement such a council?

Yes. The PPS Board can pass a policy restructuring of how decisions are made. They already oversee everything from budgets to curriculum. That means they can legally allow a student council to exercise real veto power before proposals become final.

6. What actions will PPS take to make it work?

• Pass a formal resolution acknowledging the Student Voice Council’s veto authority over key policy areas.

• Set monthly meeting times in the evening for a District Student Congress—live-streamed for transparency.

• Ensure each high school runs fair elections for council members, with extra outreach to ESL, foster, and homeless student communities so their voices are heard.

• Provide staff and administrative support (such as meeting space and transportation if needed) so students can effectively organize and share information.

7. How does it help students in their day-to-day lives?

Kids best know what’s working (and what’s failing) in their hallways. They can stop policies that complicate commutes, weaken class schedules, or worsen discipline issues. Instead of being forced to adapt to top-down decisions, students shape them from the start.

8. Won’t it slow down the process if students can veto decisions?

In some cases, it might add an extra step. But if that step keeps policies from backfiring or hurting students — think about bell schedules that ignore TriMet bus times or unworkable discipline rules that push kids away — it saves time (and money) in the long run. Student input can highlight problems early, preventing bigger chaos later.

9. Is this more “lip service” to youth, or do students get power?

It’s actual power. Once the Board adopts the policy, a veto from the Student Voice Council on an issue like a new lunch vendor or a mid-year schedule change is final unless the proposal is modified and re-approved by the Council. No more outnumbered student reps — this is a genuine seat at the table.