§ 1901. Central high school districts; number and election of members of board of education. 1. Existing central high school districts are continued. Boards of education of such central high school districts heretofore established shall continue as constituted under the order of the commissioner. The number of their members shall be not less than five. There shall be at least one member of such a board from each common school district and at least two from each union free school district within the central high school district. The board of education of each union free school district in each such central high school district shall appoint the number of persons so designated by the commissioner to represent such district as members of the board of education of such central high school district. In each common school district having a sole trustee, such trustee shall represent such district as a member of the board of education of such central high school district. If a common school district have three trustees, such board of trustees shall designate one of its members to represent such district as a member of such board of education. The persons so designated shall be members of the board of education of the central high school district during their terms of office as members of the board of education or as trustees of the districts respectively represented by them. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of a member of the board of education of such central high school district, it shall be filled as above provided.

2. Each central high school district, at the next annual meeting and election subsequent to the effective date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand five which added this subdivision, may submit to the qualified voters of the district for approval the issue of ex officio student membership, on the school district's board of education, by a student attending a high school within such school district. Upon voter approval, each such district shall establish a process for student membership selection pursuant to paragraph c of this subdivision. If, prior to August fifth, two thousand three, a school district had a policy that allowed a student or students to be ex officio members of the school board, such policy shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this subdivision and shall be deemed to have full legal effect. In any district that contains more than one high school, such process shall take into consideration the number of high schools within the district and shall provide for a mechanism which allows for fair representation among the schools. Such district shall allow such selected student to serve as an ex officio member of such board of education, and, if so, provided further that:

a. The ex officio student member of the board shall be entitled to sit with board members at all public meetings of the board and participate in all board hearings and meetings.

b. The ex officio student member of the board shall not be allowed to vote, shall not be allowed to attend executive session, and shall not be entitled to receive compensation of any form for participating at board meetings.

c. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the ex officio student member of the board may be any of the following: the student that has been duly elected as student president of the high school; a student duly elected by the student body; a student selected by the high school student government; a student selected by the high school principal; a student selected by the superintendent of schools. Provided, however, in districts having district-wide student governments or advisory committees, student ex officio members shall be selected by the superintendent of schools from among the members of such district-wide student governments or advisory committees, subject to ratification by majority vote of the school board.

d. The ex officio student member shall be a senior at the high school and shall have attended such high school for at least two years prior to selection.

3. Each central high school district may offer to the voters once every two years, on the same date as the annual school district budget vote, a separate referendum to decide whether the school district shall allow a student, as established under this section, to serve on the school board as an ex officio, non-voting member.