Patrick Cruse has spent years advocating for students in Inglewood.
Now, the 18-year-old senior at City Honors International Preparatory School will bring his experience to the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education as its second student board member.
Inglewood announced it was creating the position last year when Amaya Hazard served as its first student board member during the 2025-26 school year.
“Too often in the boardroom, students’ voices are never really considered,” Cruse said. “So, I want to make sure that I have the space to influence those decisions.”
Cruse told The LA Local he was appointed in June by the county administrator student advisory committee. He said he first became involved with the advisory committee in ninth grade and eventually rose to become its executive director.
“He’s definitely new to the position but not new to us because he’s been a student here since he was a freshman in high school,” Area 5 Trustee Ernesto Castillo said about Cruse. “I’m really excited, too, because he sits next to me and I want to share notes with him.”
James Morris, district county administrator, told The LA Local the role of the student board member is to look at and study board agendas, come together with other high school student leaders and bring the voice of students in the room.
Inglewood Unified is expanding student participation at a pivotal time. The district is one step closer to regaining local control after more than a decade under receivership, which would return voting power to the school board. Though the student board member does not have voting power, the board believes students should have a say in the new direction of the district.
“Patrick is really going to be an influential voice for our student body,” said Brandon Myers, the board’s vice president. “He has the knowledge of where our district has been, where we are now and our vision for the future.”
Cruse said he’s been advocating for students since seventh grade when he became involved in leadership at Wilder’s Preparatory Academy Charter Schools, an independent charter school system in Inglewood that is not part of the district.
He also serves as a statewide director of educational policy with the California Association of Student Councils, where he represents about 6 million students, according to the IUSD’s website.
One of the issues Cruse plans to elevate is campus facilities.
“Some of our facilities are not up to date,” Cruse said. “I did a survey, sent it out district-wide and that was one of the main concerns.”
In an effort to address its facilities, the district has proposed a $396 million bond measure that Inglewood voters will see on their November ballot this fall. The bond measure looks to improve school campuses, according to John Hughes, Inglewood Teachers Association president.
The district is also preparing to open a newly renovated campus for Inglewood High School students during the 2028 school year.
As for Cruse, the student board member position is also preparation for a future in public service.
“I want to come back to Inglewood,” Cruse said. “It’s always been my passion and I want to be there to make sure all of us are in community.”
Cruse plans to major in political science and wants to attend one of the University of California campuses, Clark Atlanta University or Morehouse College — the latter two of which are historically Black institutions.
