MOCO Board of Education Begins Search For New Member To Serve District 3

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — There is a vacancy for District 3 in the Montgomery County Board of Education and the board is beginning to accept applications. District 3 covers parts of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington and Potomac and was previously represented by Pat O'Neill, a long-time schools advocate who died suddenly in September.

Only residents who live within District 3 can apply. The Board said the process for selecting a new member will involve an application, interviews, voter registration verification and a confirmation that the applicant lives in District 3. The decision is ultimately made by the Board of Education.

Any Montgomery County Public Schools employee who wishes to apply can, but if appointed would have to resign from their school position, the Board said.

Applications are open until Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. The Board of Education listed the following as application criteria:

A signed letter expressing the applicant's desire and willingness to serve on the Board of Education as the District 3 representative with a term ending in November 2022, and a statement regarding the applicant’s understanding of the substantial workload and time commitment;

A brief record of the applicant's personal history and relevant civic, professional, and other experience (a resume will suffice);

A statement certifying that the applicant is a registered voter of Montgomery County and resides in District 3; and

Contact information including e-mail addresses and telephone numbers where the applicant can be reached.

The successful candidate will be filling the role of the Board of Education's longest serving member. O'Neill was elected to the board in 1998 and served until her death last month. She was 71. Pat, her husband, and her two children were all graduates of Montgomery County Public Schools.

"Pat had years of institutional knowledge and a deep commitment to Montgomery County Public Schools," said Board of Education President Brenda Wolff in a statement at the time of O'Neill's death. "We have lost an impassioned advocate for children, students and our community. Mrs. O'Neill leaves a legacy of educational excellence that will guide our work for years to come."