Eight seventh- and eighth-graders stepped into the village hall on April 27 and did something most adults never do: they ran a real government meeting.
The students from Wilkins Junior High took on the roles of mayor, trustees, clerk, and attorney at the Justice Village Board meeting — voting on business licenses, approving donations, and fielding questions from residents. A ninth student was unable to attend.
The annual event, organized by Trustee Stan Ogorek, gives students a firsthand look at how village government operates — something Ogorek credits with inspiring his own path to elected office. Teacher Rebecca Johnson said the exercise helps students understand local government’s role in their community, a contrast to the federal government they study in class…