The newly constituted Board of Education of Anne Arundel County will conduct its first meeting and is set to elect new officers on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
The following members were elected to four-year terms on November 5, 2024:
Gloria Dent, District 1
Robert Silkworth, District 2
Erica McFarland, District 3
Sarah J. McDermott, District 4
Dana Schallheim, District 5
Joanna Bache Tobin, Ph.D., District 6
Dawn Pulliam, District 7
Dent, Silkworth, Schallheim, and Tobin are returning to the Board, while McFarland, McDermott, and Pulliam are newcomers. They join Student Member of the Board Hafsa Hamdaoui of Crofton High School.
The meeting will be held at noon in the Board Room of the Carol S. Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis. It is open to the public and subject to normal space limitations in the Board Room.
The Board’s procedures call for its President and Vice President to be elected by members in December each year. Silkworth currently serves as the Board’s President while outgoing member Corine Frank serves as Vice President.
A complete agenda for the meeting can be found here. More information on agenda items will be posted on the AACPS website in the Board Docs section under the Board of Education tab. Protocols, procedures, and expectations for those attending the meeting can be found here.
The Board will also meet in a public session at 10 a.m. for the sole purpose of voting to immediately go into closed session, during which time it will discuss confidential matters as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act including, but not limited to, legal advice, personnel, and negotiations. Closed session is not open to the public.
PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS
The Board will hear public comment from up to 10 total speakers (virtual and in-person combined) per agenda item (excluding personnel items, reports, informational presentations, and recognitions) during a single public comment section in the early portion of the meeting. Additionally, up to 10 speakers can comment on non-agenda items, excluding student-specific or personnel matters, towards the end of the meeting.
Procedures and protocols for public comment can be found here. A link to register for public comment will be live at 3 p.m. on the Friday before a Board meeting.
The general session of the meeting will be broadcast live on AACPS-TV and on AACPS’ YouTube channel. Archived videos of past meetings are available online.
BOARD MEMBERS TO TAKE OATHS OF OFFICE
All seven adult Board members will take their oaths of office during a ceremony scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, December 2, 2024, in the Board Room. The ceremony is open to the public and will be televised live on AACPS-TV and on AACPS’ YouTube channel.
BOARD COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Board of Education’s committees will hold upcoming virtual meetings according to the following schedule. The meetings will not be broadcast, but those wishing to listen to the meetings can access them by telephone through the codes listed below.
· Policy Committee: 3 p.m., December 10, 2024. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 123 444 79#.
· Budget Committee: Noon, January 21, 2025. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 461 893 827#.
· Equity Committee: Noon, February 25, 2025. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 855 986 412#.