Berks County High School Student Running For School Board

AMITY Twp., Pa. (CBS) -- While most high school students use social media to catch up with friends, Connor Kurtz is using it to run for office.  And we're not talking about class president.  Kurtz, a junior at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, Pa., is running for school board.

"I believe that I could do a much better job than many members on the school board are currently doing," he said.  "I walk around the school, and I see things that just don't make sense."

While Kurtz is just 17 years old now, he is eligible to run because he will turn 18 in September, two months before the general election.  

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He says he started going to school board meetings last August when he noticed the district flying flags in poor condition.

"I politely told them you cannot allow the American flag to fly in this condition, it's disrespectful," he said.  

Three days later, he says, the flags were replaced.  But Kurtz kept going back because he was interested in what the board was talking about.  

"I realized they don't know what they're doing.  They don't have a plan," he said.  "It boggles my mind that you can be on the school board without a plan."

Well, Kurtz has one.  Surprisingly for a student, he wants to cut spending and lower taxes – even though he doesn't pay taxes.  He says he would implement an activity fee to help the district cut costs, and he would put in place a moratorium on purchasing new textbooks.

"You don't have to pay taxes to know the taxes in Daniel Boone are too high," he said.

So far Kurtz says he's getting a lot of positive feedback from the community but not necessarily from the school board.  Daniel Boone's superintendent first agreed to speak with Eyewitness News but then canceled the interview.

"I think it's great that he cares so deeply about the community and his school," said Heather Kurtz, his mother.  "I am concerned that he has a whole year of high school ahead of him, and we don't know how the teachers might react."

To find out, Connor first has to beat out three other candidates running for just one school board seat representing Amity Township.

Reported by Ben Simmoneau, CBS 3