Cross Sophomore Wins Ed Board Election

Wilbur Cross High School sophomore John Carlos Serana Musser will be the next student representative on the Board of Education, after coming out on top in a three-way race for a soon-to-open seat.

Serana Musser was elected by his student peers Friday after an hour-and-a-half ballot count occurred in a second-floor meeting room at City Hall. This was the first contested election for a student rep seat on the school board in four years. 

Serana Musser was one of three students vying for the soon-to-be-open seat currently filled by graduating Hillhouse senior Ma’shai Roman. Also running were Co-op sophomore Laila Kelly-Walker and Hillhouse sophomore Hsiu-Mei Chow-Yen.

After all 2,246 ballots were counted Friday, Serana Musser won with 994 votes from high schoolers across the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) district. Kelly-Walker received 825 votes, and Chow-Yen received 427.

He’ll now join Dave Cruz-Bustamante, a rising senior at Wilbur Cross, as a fellow non-voting student member on the city’s school board.

At a candidate forum hosted by the district two weeks ago Serana Musser, who grew up Wooster Square, described himself as diligent, responsible, self-reliant, and community-oriented. He is also a student athlete on Cross’ soccer team. 

He shared plans to speak up to the board about the lack of permanent teachers and its effects on students like himself, who has two classes this year without full-time educators. He also promised to encourage students to voice their opinions through protest, and to push to allow teachers to create classroom curriculums to make class instruction more engaging and relevant. 

Click here to read more about the recent forum. 

Before heading to his soccer practice Friday afternoon, Serana Musser thanked his peers and district team via Zoom for electing him. 

Kelly-Walker was the only candidate present in-person at Friday’s ballot count while Serana Musser joined the announcement via Zoom. 

Democratic Registrar of Voters Shannel Evans and staffers Martiza Gant and Liz Dematteo counted all 2,246 ballots alongside Newhallville Alder Kim Edwards, who was also a member of the district’s student election committee. All 5,200 NHPS high schoolers were eligible to vote in Friday’s election.

Kelly-Walker was joined by her mom as well as by her classmate Carizma Bulnome for support at Friday’s count. 

While waiting, Kelly-Walker described having ​“nervous excitement” as the ballots were tallied. 

“Regardless of the outcome I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said. 

The day before the vote was Kelly-Walker’s last day of campaigning, as she was joined by a small support team to hang flyers and announce her campaign to classes around school. 

This year’s student election committee, charged with setting up the voting process, distributing information, and verifying students’ collected signatures, included members from City Hall, Board of Education Vice President Matt Wilcox, Alder Edwards, Board of Alders Legislative Services Director Al Lucas, Hillhouse Coach Darrell Brown, and Citywide Youth Coalition Executive Director Addys Castillo, among others for total of about 10 members. 

Each high school was tasked with giving its students the opportunity to vote in the Friday election. 

Assistant superintendent Paul Whyte reported Friday that one student voter, who is a refugee, was the first in her family to vote in an election. 

Current junior student rep on the board, Dave Cruz-Bustamante, who attends Cross, said Friday’s student vote was well organized and better arranged than last year’s uncontested election. 

“I love the entire slate,” he said. ​“And we all know that this is not the end all, be all.” 

Similar to young voters in the real world, Cruz-Bustamante said, he heard from many Cross students that they didn’t see the point tin voting because they feel student voice is not a priority of the district. Student representatives do not have a formal vote on the Board of Education,

At Wilbur Cross, Cruz-Bustamante said, Friday’s election was a big deal and had multiple voting booth on each of its floors manned by two staffers. 

During Friday’s second period each classroom door was knocked on to encourage students to take a moment to vote. Then staff also offered any students who missed the vote the opportunity to cast a ballot during all lunch waves. 

“Ma’Shai was a great mentor and partner. I’m going to miss her but I’m also excited to get things done with whoever is next,” he said. 

After Friday’s vote announcement, Assistant Superintendent Paul Whyte, who was also a member of the student elections committee, declared this year’s elections a ​“victory for all students.” 

Edwards told the candidates that ​“you all inspired me” and ​“make me want to work harder at things.” 

This year marked Edwards’ sixth year on the election committee. She described this race as ​“real” and ​“powerful.”

“I’m so glad they all followed through. They’re more responsible than we think, ” she said. ​“They taught us things because what we think is a great idea because it worked in the past for us, they know times have changed and know what’s best too. It’s our jobs to make sure they’re listened to.” 

During Friday’s count Evans also announced to students that they have two upcoming community service opportunities for high schoolers. She shared that students can help at polling locations around the city for the upcoming Sept 12 primary election and the November election, both of which the students will have off school. 

She encouraged students to help at the polls or with absentee ballots to learn more about the local elections.