Politics & Government
Jillian Buck Wins Nod to Become Next Student Board of Education Member
If appointed by the governor, Buck would be the 38th student member.
South River junior Jillian Buck of Crofton has wanted to be the student member of the Board of Education for the past five years. She finally got her opportunity to try for the job at Thursday’s Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils (CRASC) convention held at the Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park.
Anne Arundel County is the only jurisdiction in the nation that allows a student board member with full voting privileges. The student board member seat is available to any rising senior.
Buck was going up against two other finalists—Olivia Goldberg of Severna Park High School and Alexander Berman of Annapolis High School.
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More than 300 students attended the meeting where the final vote tally ended with Buck winning the nod.
Once CRASC makes the nomination, the appointment is moved to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s desk.
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The governor appoints all nine members of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education. The other (non-student) board members are nominated by a special nominating commission and serve four-year terms. The student board member serves a one-year term.
The governor may select a candidate from outside either the CRASC convention or the nominating commission forum, but it is rare.
Buck’s first CRASC meeting was when she was a sixth grader at Crofton Middle School. Buck said that that meeting five years ago was when she knew that she wanted to sit on the board.
If appointed by the governor, Buck will take the seat currently held by another South River student, Katharine Scruggs. Of the 38 student members that have served in the role since 1974, Scruggs is the only other student from South River.
Severna Park High has had the most appointments with seven. The only school not to have a student board member so far is Northeast High School.
School Number of student members appointed since 1974 Severna Park High School7 Meade High School 6 Annapolis High School 4 Arundel High School 4 Broadneck High School 3 Old Mill High School 3 Southern High School 3 Chesapeake High School 2 Glen Burnie High School 2 South River High School 2 North County High School 1
If selected by the governor, Buck’s role on the Board would begin July 1.
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to serve as the SMOB,” Buck said in a statement released by Anne Arundel County Public Schools. “The other candidates were both very qualified, and I am grateful to have been elected with such competition.”
Here is a list of all of the student members of the Board of Education, provided by Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
Term Name School 1 1974-75 Jeffrey Robinson Andover 2 1975-76 Anthony Arend Arundel 3 1976-77 Lisa P. Battle Southern 4 1977-78 Matthew Reilly Old Mill 5 1978-79 Lelia Patrizio Arundel 6 1979-80 Jeffrey J. Gernert Meade 7 1980-81 Steven M. Dunne Severna Park 8 1981-82 Heather Price Annapolis 9 1982-83 Russell Brown Annapolis 10 1983-84 Kim Wolod Annapolis 11 1984-85 Jeannie Hebb Chesapeake 12 1985-86 Michael Wiggins Meade 13 1986-87 Heather Stephens Broadneck 14 1987-88 Heather Iliff Severna Park 15 1988-89 Catherine McCall Severna Park 16 1989-90 Allisen Haworth Severna Park 17 1990-91 Kenneth McGill Meade 18 1991-92 Miecha Werwie Southern 19 1992-93 Sanford J. Witcher Glen Burnie 20 1993-94 Desira St. Pierre Broadneck 21 1994-95 Terrill R. Gilleland North County 22 1995-96 Nicole St. Pierre Broadneck 23 1996-97 Steven White, Jr. Meade 24 1997-98 Christopher R. Barbour Meade 25 1998-99 Marina Harrison Meade 26 1999-00 D. Andy Smith Annapolis 27 2000-01 Alicia Pettit Severna Park 28 2001-02 Brandon Van Bibber Glen Burnie 29 2002-03 Ashley Nathanson Arundel 30 2003-04 Caitlin Heidemann Old Mill 31 2004-05 Sarah Ferguson Arundel 32 2005-06 Pallas Snider Severna Park 33 2006-07 Brittany T. Walker Old Mill 34 2007-08 Sage Snider Severna Park 35 2008-09 Collin Wojciechowski Chesapeake 36 2009-10 Alena Sanders Southern 37 2010-11 Katharine Scruggs South River 38 2011-12 Jillian Buck South RiverGet more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
