18-year-old Mat-Su grad seeks seat on school board that silenced him

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board campaigner Ben Kolendo, stands extracurricular nan beforehand doors of nan Mat-Su Borough School District agency building connected Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

Over nan past schoolhouse year, Ben Kolendo’s opportunities to speak during Matanuska-Susitna School Board meetings were severely reduced. But astatine nan first gathering aft relinquishing his duties, he stepped up to nan podium and said he wants backmost in. Following six years arsenic a student representative, Kolendo announced he’s moving for a spot connected nan schoolhouse board.

“I firmly support nan authorities and freedoms of students and parents. It is not nan district’s occupation to raise our children, but to amended them,” Kolendo said. “Together, we tin build a early wherever our schools supply nan highest value of acquisition while respecting nan values and freedoms of our community.”

Kolendo was elected by Mat-Su students 3 times to correspond them connected nan schoolhouse board. Last fall, astatine nan opening of his sixth year, Kolendo recovered his spot among nan assemblage alternatively of up connected nan dais pinch different committee members, without immoderate ballot aliases nationalist mentation of why he was removed from nan board.

Friction betwixt Kolendo and committee members started successful 2023 erstwhile nan committee was deciding really to prime members for a citizen’s room advisory committee. Kolendo’s pointed questions astir nan committee and ongoing statement negotiations pinch nan teacher’s national led nan committee to alteration their ain policy, removing nan title of “board member” from nan student position and prohibiting Kolendo from participating successful discussions. Kolendo’s only chance to speak was a azygous study astatine nan opening of meetings.

Members of nan assemblage activity yellowish signs successful support of student typical Ben Kolendo during a Mat-Su schoolhouse committee gathering connected Sept. 6, 2023. (Tim Rockey / Alaska Public Media)

In December, Kolendo and then-Wasilla High School student Quinlen Schachle sued nan district, arguing that investigating students who had spoken retired against nan argumentation alteration was a usurpation of students’ free speech. Now, Kolendo is seeking a domiciled connected nan very committee that kept him from speaking up.

“I thought that sitting connected nan committee arsenic student typical would beryllium capable to make a affirmative alteration wrong our district, but I realized it wasn’t,” Kolendo said. “Now I’m present to really measurement successful and spot really overmuch affirmative alteration I tin make.”

Kolendo was calved and raised successful Alaska and graduated from Career Tech High School successful Wasilla successful May. He plans to study governmental subject and nationalist argumentation astatine nan University of Alaska Anchorage starting successful nan fall. Kolendo would beryllium 19 if elected successful November — but he argues he brings much acquisition to nan committee than different candidates.

“I deliberation nan biggest mobility that I person been getting pinch my run and will beryllium getting is my age, but erstwhile you look astatine my clip successful this district, I’ve been doing nan occupation that nan schoolhouse committee members person been doing for longer than almost immoderate of nan group presently sitting up there,” Kolendo said.

He’s moving for nan spot representing District 1 successful nan eastbound Mat-Su that encompasses Butte and Sutton, areas which person historically voted for blimpish candidates for Assembly and schoolhouse board. In 2020, 76% of voters astatine 5 District 1 precincts voted to reelect erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Kolendo is moving his run connected a level of fiscal responsibility, expanding parental rights, and returning to a tradition-based curriculum. He’ll registry arsenic an Independent candidate, and believes he tin correspond some sides of nan governmental spectrum if elected.

“I deliberation this is really nan astir absorbing territory because it has immoderate of nan astir blimpish groups, but besides immoderate of nan astir wide groups,” Kolendo said. “It’s a really large stance of excavation that I want to correspond some sides. I judge that our schoolhouse committee should beryllium bipartisan, and it should beryllium crossing each broadside of nan governmental statement to what’s champion pinch students.”

Candidate Ben Kolendo discusses his ideas moving for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board successful Palmer connected Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

“You cognize I deliberation it’s almost difficult to hit an incumbent and particularly moving to their near successful nan Mat-Su is astir apt astir impossible,” Sumner said.

Kolendo argues he’s not moving to nan near of Bergey, and feels he whitethorn beryllium moreover much blimpish successful immoderate areas.

“I really don’t deliberation we disagree very much. I deliberation nan biggest point we mightiness disagree connected is budgetary spending,” Kolendo said. “I deliberation I’m a small much blimpish erstwhile it comes to budgetary spending.”

On Wednesday, nan committee voted to eliminate nan Student Advisory Board Representative altogether. The student typical had been a portion of nan schoolhouse committee for complete 40 years. Under nan caller board policy adopted by a 6-1 vote, nan superintendent will select students to study to nan board. Kolendo feels that student sound is vital.

“As soon arsenic adults are saying ‘that’s not really students feel’ aliases ‘that is really students feel,’ you’re losing nan constituent entirely,” Kolendo said. “With this caller territory group that will beryllium tally by nan superintendent and nan schoolhouse board, I judge moreover though it will beryllium a destruction of student voice, you won’t really beryllium getting it.”

If elected, Kolendo would beryllium nan second-youngest municipal elected charismatic successful Alaska history, according to nan Alaska Municipal League. Ketchikan residents elected 18-year-old Trevor Shaw to their schoolhouse committee successful 2013.

The campaigner filing play for Mat-Su School Board officially opens successful August, and Election Day is Nov. 5.