For many current residents, history was made in December 1996, when the county-elected school Board took the helm, ending a long tradition of operating under an appointed Board. St. Mary’s County Public Schools is governed by a Board of Education consisting of five members and a nonvoting student representative. The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County’s power and duties include the authority to adopt, enforce, and monitor all policies for the management and governance of the school system. Board of Education members are guardians of the public trust. Through the policies they make, Board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education. The Board serves as the advocate for educational excellence for the community’s youth and puts those interests first. The policies Boards of Education make dictate the standards and philosophies by which schools are run and the criteria used to judge whether they are being run well.

The key responsibilities of the Board of Education are to:

• Hire and evaluate the Superintendent to whom is delegated all administrative responsibility and authority.
• Adopt and evaluate policies.
• Approve and adopt the school system’s annual budget.
• Involve the community in the life of the school system.
• Maintain open and honest communication.

The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County welcomes your interest and participation. Open lines of communication are vital to providing a positive educational experience for the students who learn in our classrooms each day.

How long do Board meetings last?