This blog piece was written by one of our students, Diego Perez Palomino. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.
The letter below was written by an active Civitas student and published recently in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Letter: Students impacted by school decisions should be able to vote
Nov 2, 2023
As Parkway high school students like me begin to experience the consequences of our district’s latest decision, it’s becoming increasingly evident that we should not leave all the decision-making in the hands of the higher-ups alone. For the 2023-2024 school year, the Parkway School District decided to cut high school teachers’ planning time significantly, resulting in the loss of clubs, honors societies and valuable student opportunities.
It’s clear our education is being undermined. Vote16MO, a campaign committed to lowering the voting age in nonpartisan and local school board elections to 16 in Missouri, serves as a way out. By enabling high school juniors and seniors to engage in their school board elections, we can fix the disconnect between those who experience the consequences of decisions and those who shape them.
Our country’s foundation thrives on the ideal of no taxation without representation. However, we observe that concepts, like this one, taught in classrooms aren’t being applied within the very school they’re taught in.
Lowering the voting age to 16 would allow the fresh and diverse perspectives of our younger generation to thrive within a political landscape, as they actively shape their educational environment in alignment with their needs for success. Lowering the voting age to 16 in nonpartisan school board elections would empower the youth to take control of their education.
To learn more about this campaign, visit vote16mo.org.
Diego Perez Palomino • St. Louis County (Parkway Central High School student)
