On Wednesday, March 21st, AP Government teacher Mr. Hahn and a group of high school students held a debate for the school board that was broadcasted via Facebook Live, reaching over 1000 viewers. A select group of GHS students were in charge of running the debate behind the scenes, including everything from writing press releases to asking questions of the candidates.

The questions that were asked at the debate ranged from topics of experience as a member of the school board and what should be the expectations of obtaining a high achieving school district. All the questions were created and asked by the high school students that participated in the school board debate, allowing the students an opportunity to learn about local elections and get a clear look into the election process.

Senior Sydney Ginter, a member of the student forum, said, “I was given a really incredible opportunity to see behind the curtain when it comes to understanding how elections and debates are organized… it made it really clear to me how important it is to get out and vote, especially as a young person.”

“I learned what an election could look like, and since I am not able to vote yet it was nice to see what the process would look like,” commented senior Shelby Bowman, another member of the student forum.

Among the candidates were four incumbents, Mark Grosso, Leslie Juby, Dave Lamb, and Bill Wilson, and one challenger, Taylor Egan.

“I think the candidates are all very nice. One of my favorites was Taylor Egan; I think she would be a great addition to the school board,” said Shelby Bowman.

In reference to the upcoming election, Sydney Ginter said, “I think that Geneva is extremely fortunate to have five strong candidates up for election. There is no wrong choice.”
The school board elections will be held held April 4th and voters will be able to vote for three or four candidates of their choosing.