District Works with Students to Create Student Bill of Rights

Published August 25, 2017

The Williamson County Board of Education voted to approve a Student Bill of Rights for the 2017-18 school year.

This document, drafted with the help of students who serve on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, lists the rights of students across the county. The process started in the fall of 2016.

“We wanted a companion document to the Parent Bill of Rights,” said WCS Special Projects Manager Angela Huff, who worked with the students. “The things that are on the Bill of Rights are what rose to the stop for them as students.”

The students, who were mostly high school juniors and seniors when the process began, talked with their peers for input on what to include. They tried to make it apply not only to high school students but to students across all grade levels.

“I loved that the district included us in the process,” said Megan Wang, a Ravenwood High School senior who helped create the Student Bill of Rights. “I think it’s important to have student input on decisions that directly affect us.”

The creation of the Student Bill of Rights was one of the top priorities last year, and it took most of the year to come up with a final draft.

“I am satisfied with the final product,” said Wang. “We now have an official list that clarifies our rights as students that may have not been applied or been known at each Williamson County school.”