25 Sep Antioch Unified Welcomes First Student School Board Members

The first student members of the Antioch Unified school board were sworn in Wednesday. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The Antioch Unified School Board welcomed five of its first-ever student members on Wednesday. 

School board members swore in the students after their peers across the district elected one representative from Antioch High School, three from Bidwell High School, and one from Dozier Libbey Medical High School to serve out the 2025-26 school year. 

The swearing-in is the result of a years-long effort to bring students aboard but comes only four months after members unanimously approved recruiting up to three constant student board members. 

“This is historic,” said board president Antonio Hernandez. “We are so excited to have more student voice to truly value what you all have to say in the decisions that we’re making.” 

Kailani Torres, a student at Antioch High, and Gianni Callwood, a student at Dozier Libbey, will serve out the entirety of the school year. Kieralynn Darden and Kyrn Bryant, both of Bidwell High, will serve a semester each. Dani Bookout, also of Bidwell, will act as an alternate. 

Torres, Callwood, Darden and Bryant wore matching blazers to the event. 

“We’re in crazy times. It might be a little scary out in the world, but we see things like this that give us hope,” said Devin Williams, a police oversight commissioner and program coordinator with Lift Up Contra Costa.

Williams, in particular, recognized Callwood, whom he met recently at an NAACP youth swearing-in. 

“He can talk about anything and everything, and I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ ” Williams said while congratulating all the appointees. 

Student board members are juniors or seniors in the district who attend board meetings and offer their perspective on issues alongside adult members. 

Students will also regularly communicate with student leadership at school sites to hear feedback and bring it back to the entire board. 

“I want to encourage you to be confident in your perspective that you bring, in your insights. You are at the school sites 180 days a year, seven hours a day. We’re not there that time,” said Hernandez. “You all have the deepest, richest experience of anyone in this room.”