By Fatimah Waseem – Contact Reporter
Howard County Times
he structure of Howard County’s school board could change as state lawmakers propose three competing plans to how school board members are elected.
Currently, school board candidates run for seven at-large seats in a non-partisan race, but lawmakers say that system does not do enough to boost accountability, encourage diversity and push board members to respond to concerns within their constituent-base.
State Del. Vanessa Atterbeary is reintroducing a bill that aligns school board districts with councilmanic districts. Five members would be elected by district while the remaining two seats would be at-large positions.
Tying school board seats to council districts ensures board members are beholden to the unique needs of their constituents and gives parents and educators a single point of contact to address concerns, said Atterbeary, a Democrat.
“There is a belief amongst the community that certain schools in the county are treated different,” Atterbeary said. All schools need to be represented equally and fairly and all parents need to feel like they have a voice.”
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The bill, which drew support from the community at hearings last year, failed to make it to the General Assembly after state Del. Bob Flanagan and state Sens. Edward Kasemeyer, a Democrat, and Gail Bates voted against the proposal.
Bates and Flanagan, both Republicans, feared the proposal would inject politics into the nonpartisan school board race, and are this year each offering a competing proposal.
“Councilmanic districts are highly partisan and grossly gerrymandered,” Flanagan said. “We do not want to inject partisanship, gerrymandering and all of the related problems into the election of the school board.”
Flanagan’s plan calls for districts drawn by an 11-member commission of citizens selected through a lottery managed by the county executive.
The commission, chaired by a retired judge selected by the Howard County Council and funded by county taxpayer dollars, would create seven school board districts.
Members would draw districts to match the proportion of registered voters by party. All members must be registered voters and cannot serve as public officials in the state.
The county would reimburse commission members for their participation.
Bates’ proposal also creates a commission that would draw districts, but places selection powers in the hands of local organizations and requires citizen input throughout the redrawing process.
“There is no place for politics with the school board,” Bates said.