School Board Candidate forum

Come Meet our School Board Candidates

By Laurie Halverson

When you vote in the April Primary, come prepared to vote for the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The Montgomery County Federation of Republican Women is giving voters an opportunity to meet the candidates so they can make well-informed decisions at the ballot box. They are proud to announce they are hosting a non-partisan Board of Education Forum on Monday, March 16 at the Potomac Community Center from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

While the state has increased funding to local districts by record amounts since Governor Hogan took office, we have seen a disappointing decline in overall achievement and a widening of the achievement gap. Discussions on how to improve education have spurred a high turnout in the candidate pool this year. Besides poor academic performance, other issues that have generated debate include a proposed boundary analysis, discipline and crime in schools, equity in schools, and how to catch up with school construction needs. 

So far, 11 of the 17 candidates have confirmed they are participating in the forum, which is open to the public. There are 13 candidates for the At-Large race for only one open seat. (Jeanette Dixon, a current At-Large Board member did not file to run for a second term, leaving no incumbent for this race.) Voters will vote for one in the Primary and the top two vote getters will advance to the General Election. 

Because only two candidates are running in both Districts 2 and 4, these candidates will automatically advance to the General Election in November. Voters will choose from all these candidates. Different from other local races, each Board of Education member, even  though he/she resides in a district or fills an At-Large position, represents the entire county and is elected by voters in the entire county. 

The candidate forum is co-sponsored by the GOP-Asian American Association and the LD-15 Pac. 

Early voting begins on April 16 and Primary Election Day is April 28.