2026 Candidate Spotlight: Meet Jamie McGonnigal

HYATTSVILLE, MD — Jamie McGonnigal has entered the race for Prince George's County Board of Education District 3. Patch posed questions to each candidate running for office.

Below you will find McGonnigal's responses, verbatim:

Name: Jamie McGonnigal

Age on Election Day: 50

Hometown: Hyattsville, Maryland

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Email address: jamie@mcgfordistrict3.com

Campaign website/Facebook page: McG for District 3

Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected.

While I have not previously held elected office, I’ve spent years doing hands-on community leadership work as President of the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA, organizing parents, advocating for students, and working directly with educators, district leaders, local elected officials, and families. I’ve also spent more than two decades leading partnerships, fundraising, and coalition-building efforts professionally.

That experience matters because I’m not approaching this role as a stepping stone in politics. I’m approaching it as a parent who is already deeply involved in the day-to-day realities facing our schools. I’ve helped families navigate transportation issues, advocated for stronger communication from the district, raised resources for schools, and built programs that support students beyond academics. I understand both the systems-level challenges and the very human impact those challenges have on kids and families.

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

I believe the biggest issue facing families right now is trust. Too many parents, teachers, and students feel unheard, disconnected from decision-making, or frustrated by a lack of communication and transparency.

I want to help rebuild trust by making family engagement a real priority instead of an afterthought. That means clearer communication from the district, stronger partnerships between schools and families, and leadership that listens before decisions are made. It also means recognizing that students are more than test scores. Kids cannot succeed academically if they are dealing with fear, instability, mental health struggles, transportation issues, or unsafe learning environments.

As a board member, I will push for policies that support the whole child while also improving academic outcomes through strong schools, stable staffing, and meaningful community engagement.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you?

I’m the parent in this race. My child attends public school here, and the decisions made by the Board of Education directly impact my family every single day. I’m living these issues alongside other parents.

I also bring a unique combination of grassroots community organizing and professional leadership experience. I’ve built partnerships that raised millions of dollars for nonprofit and civic initiatives, led large teams, organized major community events, and spent years bringing people together across different perspectives to solve problems.

Most importantly, I’m running because I believe our schools need leaders with a real stake in the outcome, people focused on students and families rather than politics.

How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

My professional background has centered around leadership, partnerships, fundraising, communications, and coalition-building. I’ve spent more than 20 years helping organizations grow, managing large-scale initiatives, and bringing together stakeholders with competing priorities to achieve shared goals.

That experience translates directly to school board service. Public education requires collaboration, strategic planning, budget oversight, community engagement, and the ability to communicate clearly with families and staff. I also understand how to advocate for resources and build relationships that can strengthen opportunities for students and educators.

In addition, my experience as a PTA president has grounded all of that professional work in the real-world needs of public school communities.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If that is you - how do you plan to continue improving upon what you've already accomplished?

Our current board member has served two terms and has earned enormous respect from many of the families and communities she has represented. She has been an independent voice on the board, served while raising children in our public school system, and has helped oversee important progress, including the construction of new school facilities in our district. She has also built a reputation for being accessible and responsive to parents and families, which matters deeply in public education leadership.

At the same time, many families across the district still feel disconnected from decision-making and frustrated by inconsistent communication or a lack of transparency around issues that directly impact their children. I believe rebuilding trust between families, schools, and the district has to be a major priority moving forward.

As she leaves office, I believe it is important that District 3 continue to be represented by someone with a direct, day-to-day stake in our schools. With only a handful of current school board members who are actively parenting children in the system, I believe that perspective is incredibly valuable.

As a public school parent and PTA president, I understand firsthand the realities families are navigating right now because my family is living them too. If elected, I hope to continue the tradition of responsive, community-centered leadership while also bringing a strong focus on improving communication, strengthening family engagement, supporting educators, and ensuring students are seen as whole people, not just test scores.

How do you feel about the school system in your area and what improvements would you like to see be made?

Prince George’s County has incredible students, educators, and families, and I believe deeply in the potential of our public schools. But we also face serious challenges that need urgent attention.

We need stronger support for educators and better staff retention. We need safer, healthier, and more modern learning environments. We need improved communication with families. We also need to take a serious look at issues like excessive screen time and how technology is being used in classrooms, particularly as we see declines in writing and literacy outcomes.

Most importantly, we need to ensure students are supported as whole people. Children cannot thrive academically if they are dealing with fear, instability, bullying, hunger, or mental health challenges without adequate support systems in place.

How do you feel about crime in your area and what steps can be taken to reduce it?

Community safety is important to every family. I believe one of the most effective long-term ways to reduce crime is by investing in strong schools, stable communities, youth programs, mental health supports, and opportunities for young people.

Students who feel connected, supported, and hopeful are far more likely to thrive. Schools should be safe environments where students feel respected and supported emotionally as well as academically.

I also believe strong partnerships between schools, families, local government, and community organizations are essential to creating safer communities overall.

What do you think about the economic climate and business sector in your community, and what initiatives could propel it forward?

The Route 1 corridor and surrounding communities have incredible potential for thoughtful economic growth that strengthens both our neighborhoods and our schools. We have a vibrant network of small businesses, restaurants, arts organizations, and community spaces that help make this area special, and I believe supporting them is essential to building a stronger local economy.

As a PTA president, I’ve seen firsthand how important local businesses are to our school communities. They’ve sponsored our Zombie Run fundraiser, hosted restaurant nights and classroom fundraisers, donated goods and services for families, and consistently shown up for our students and educators. Those partnerships matter. Strong communities and strong schools go hand in hand.

I believe we should continue investing in community-centered development that supports small businesses while also ensuring families can continue to afford to live here. I’d also love to see stronger partnerships between schools, local businesses, nonprofits, and higher education institutions to create more opportunities for students through mentorships, internships, arts programming, and career-connected learning.

Strong public schools are also an economic driver. Families want to live in communities where schools are thriving, where businesses are engaged, and where people feel connected to one another.

How do you feel about transportation options in the area and what, if anything, should be improved upon?

I believe transportation is one of the clearest examples of why school systems need to do a better job anticipating challenges instead of waiting until they become crises.

On my very first day as PTA president, I met with our principal to talk specifically about transportation because our school was preparing to move into a transition space while our old building was demolished and rebuilt. Hyattsville Elementary had always been a walking school with no bus system. Overnight, nearly 450 students would suddenly need buses in a community that had never relied on them before.

Families needed time to prepare and plan. We were told transportation information would arrive in January, then April, and ultimately families did not receive meaningful information until about 10 days before the school year started.

The result was confusion, frustration, missed buses, late arrivals, and families feeling completely disconnected from the process. Many of the problems that emerged were avoidable with stronger planning, earlier communication, and greater transparency. The PTA ultimately had to step in to help families navigate routes, communicate updates, organize support systems, and solve problems in real time.

That experience reinforced for me that operational issues matter deeply because they directly impact students’ ability to learn and families’ ability to function day to day.

As a board member, I would push for earlier communication timelines, stronger coordination with families, and more proactive planning around major operational changes. Families should never feel like they are the last to know about decisions that affect their children’s safety and daily lives.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I’m running because I care deeply about public education and the future of our community. I’m a public school parent, PTA president, nonprofit leader, voice actor, and proud dad who believes every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and valued.

I know firsthand that students are more than numbers in a spreadsheet or scores on a test. They are whole people with dreams, challenges, creativity, fears, and enormous potential.

I want to help build a school system where families feel welcomed, educators feel supported, and every student has the opportunity to thrive.