Buzzing with student voices and fresh ideas, Ocean Lakes High School’s student advisory board brings together a diverse group of student representatives.

“[The board] will be from freshman to senior [because] I am looking for a cross-section of students who live in our zone versus MSA students,” Principal Dr. Leslie Ittner said. “[I need] students who are involved [and] maybe perhaps not involved yet.”

The commitment is a one-year contract because the idea is to get as many students’ voices heard as possible.

“I have typically done it where students are [there for] one year, and then the opportunity is given to new voices the following year,” Ittner said.

Meetings will take place once a month in room 157, also known as the board room. Teachers say that the role of the student advisory board is to inform the principal of issues that students are experiencing that may not be immediately apparent. 

“Parents are cutting in front of students entering the student parking lot,” astronomy and meteorology teacher Michelle Bailey-Hennessey said. “How can this issue be resolved? The administration discusses issues like this to try to fix or come up with a better solution to the problem.”

The applications for the board closed on Sept. 12, 2025 and students who applied described it as a great opportunity.

“It is a strong platform to let me get involved on a different level and be able to improve all communication, increase student motivation and drive change,” junior Stone Wagner said. “Getting involved is great for the individual and for the school as a whole.”