Mateo De La Cruz, a senior at Reagan College Preparatory High School, and Ingrid Melzer, a junior at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, looked perfectly at ease sitting between MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, EdD, and the members of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors during a school board meeting.  

Mateo and Ingrid had been there before, to report briefly on happenings at the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, where they also serve. But this was their first night as official delegates from the SSAC to the board, along with Lucina (Luna) Matos, a junior at Rufus King International High School. 

The students, in their role as delegates, regularly will be sitting with the board and providing students’ viewpoints as the board makes its decisions — the next meeting of the full school board is Thursday, March 26.  

Like school directors, delegates will ask questions during proceedings, be recognized to speak, and be briefed on all issues except for confidential topics, such as personnel matters.  

The delegates will be advisers to the board, but they won’t make motions or vote. The delegates get the same training that the elected school board directors take. 

Mateo’s term will end when he graduates in spring, but Ingrid and Luna will continue to serve through the 2026-27 school year. All three ran for the positions and were elected by their SSAC peers, who come from high schools all around the district. 

Dr. Cassellius clearly was delighted to have the new student delegates sitting beside her at their first official meeting with the board. She welcomed them during the meeting (before the meeting started, she took photos of them and took selfies with them, as well). Having student representation at board meetings was something she championed since joining MPS in March 2025. 

One of the 11 core beliefs held by the school district is that “student voice is encouraged and respected.” Existing administrative policy—first adopted in 1971 and amended over the years—calls for student delegates to serve as representatives to the board, although that representation had fallen by the wayside over the years.  

In interviews during an SSAC meeting, Mateo said he saw his new role as an opportunity to expand student input in MPS for future generations. “This kind of guides how the future student voice is going to be viewed at MPS,” he said, adding, “I know that I’m not going to reap the rewards myself for this, but I’m really hoping to make sort of the framework that can be built on by future leaders in the SSAC.” 

Ingrid’s SSAC experience reporting to the board encouraged her to run for the role of delegate.

“I found it very empowering. I felt like my voice was being heard, and it felt like a very enjoyable setting to be in,” Ingrid Melzer said. “I really want to empower students to use their voices, because student voices do matter.” 

“I think that having student voice in the proceedings of MPS is one of the most important, if not the most important, parts of making these decisions that will affect all of the students across MPS,” Ingrid added. “You cannot, in my opinion, do anything without regarding the people it affects, because we live in a democracy, and that’s what democracy does.” 

Tina Owen-Moore, EdLD, chief officer to the board and board clerk, is eager for the return of student representation at board meetings.  

“I think that the students know their schools the best,” she said in an interview. She observed that district success comes entirely from students, whether it’s measured by attendance, test scores, or graduation. “The students are the only people who can make us successful as a district,” she said. 

“Having the students weighing in and providing different perspectives on the issues is only going to make us better as a district. I’m excited about it,” Dr. Owen-Moore said. 

Director Erika Siemsen, who represents District 2 on the school board, told the delegates during the February 26 meeting, “Thank you for the service that you’re providing to your peers. It is really important, and I love how you both emphasize how student voice is truly beneficial to the district and to board members.”