Lockport District 205 bids farewell to first student board members

Lockport — The Lockport Township High School District 205 board bid farewell to its first student board members at its meeting Monday.

Seniors Chelsea Osei, Victoria DalPonte, McKenna Orrico and Akash Patel sat in on board meetings and weighed in on issues, including the plans to relocate freshman students after the Central Campus ceiling collapse and the district’s building bond referendum on the March primary ballot.

Osei and DalPonte served as student board members, Orrico served on the curriculum committee, and Patel was on the Finance and Facilities committee. The four students graduated with their classmates June 1, officially ending their terms, according to a release from the school district.

“They will always be known as the first and the set the bar high for the next student board members,” Board President Ann Lopez-Caneva said in the release. “The board is very grateful for what they did during this past year.”

“I want to thank the board of education for the opportunity to represent the students of Lockport,” DalPonte said in a group video statement. “This opportunity has taught me so much about resilience, compromise and empathy. I will never take for granted my time serving our district.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank the board, staff, and students for allowing me to represent you all in this school year,” Osei said. “This position opened so many doors for me but, most importantly, it allowed me to converse and connect with my community on a deeper level. I’m very excited to see what the future holds for youth in Lockport, and I wish upcoming student board members, the best of luck.”

In their goodbye message to the board and their classmates, the four students also shared their post-graduation plans. DalPonte will attend the University of Iowa, Osei will attend Howard University, Orrico will matriculate at Saint Louis University, and Patel will attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

During the meeting, the school board also welcomed its new student board members for the 2024-25 school year. The board selected Averi Colella and Mia Fontanetta, who will sit with the board during its monthly meetings and any special meetings or workshops, according to the release.

Additionally, the school board selected Wazeera Shekoni to sit on the finance and facilities committee and Michael Dierkes for the seat on the curriculum committee.

The student board members were introduced Monday and will be sworn in to their roles Aug. 19.