Page 1 of 6 POLICY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY Related Entries: BA, BAA, BAB, BAC Responsible Office: BOARD OF EDUCATION OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY [Subject to amendment effective December 3, 2018; amended version follows this section] APPOINTMENT, QUALIFICATIONS, AND TERM OF OFFICE A. PURPOSE To outline the requirements for the appointment, qualifications, and term of office of the members of the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County (Board). B. ISSUE State law governs the appointment, qualifications, and term of office of Board members. C. POSITION 1. Appointment a. The School Board Appointment Commission of Anne Arundel County (SBAC) shall select and appoint qualified individuals to fill vacancies on the Board. b. The Board shall consist of nine members who shall be appointed as follows: i. Three from the county at large; i One each from Legislative Districts 30, 31, 32, 33, and that portion of Legislative District 21 that lies within Anne Arundel County; and One student member. c. The SBAC shall hold at least two public hearings on the candidates before making an appointment to the Board.
Page 2 of 6 d. The student member shall be elected by the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils (CRASC) in accordance with 3-2A- 05 of the Election Law Article. 2. Qualifications a. Each Board member shall be appointed solely because of the individual s character and fitness and without regard to political affiliation. b. An individual who is subject to the authority of the Board may not be appointed to serve on the Board. c. The student member of the Board shall be: i. Selected in the student s junior year by a method chosen by CRASC; and A regularly enrolled senior year student of good character and in good standing in an Anne Arundel County public high school; 3. Term of Office/Vacancy a. Beginning June 1, 2017: i. The SBAC shall select and appoint qualified individuals to fill vacancies on the Board. i An individual who takes office to fill a vacancy for an elected or appointed member of the Board shall serve for the remainder of the term for which the appointment was made and until a successor is elected or appointed. In any election, if no candidate files a certificate of candidacy for the office or if no individual otherwise qualifies to have the individual s name placed on the ballot, the SBAC shall appoint a qualified individual to fill that vacancy no later than 30 days after the general election. b. The student member serves for a term of 1 year and shall continue to serve after graduation and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. c. If a vacancy in the position of the student member occurs during the term of the student member, CRASC shall:
Page 3 of 6 i. Conduct a special election at its next general meeting; and Utilizing the same method that it used to select the previous student member of the Board to select another member to fill the vacancy. 4. Maryland law provides that: a. A Board member who does not maintain the residency qualification shall be replaced as a member; and b. If the boundary line of a legislative district is changed, the term of an incumbent member of the County Board who no longer resides in the legislative district because of the change is not affected during this term. 5. This policy language shall remain effective until December 2, 2018 and, at the end of December 2, 2018, and with no further action required by the Board, this policy shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect, and shall be replaced with the following policy language. [Effective December 3, 2018] APPOINTMENT, QUALIFICATIONS, AND TERM OF OFFICE A. PURPOSE To outline the requirements for the election, appointment, qualifications, and term of office of the members of the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County (Board). B. ISSUE State law governs the election, appointment, qualifications, and term of office of Board members. C. POSITION The composition of the Board shall change beginning on December 3, 2018. At such time, the Board will move toward a composition of seven nonpartisan elected members and one student member. 1. Election a. The seven nonpartisan elected members shall be elected as follows:
Page 4 of 6 i. One member from each of the seven councilmanic districts in Anne Arundel County, elected by the voters of that district; and At a general election in accordance with 3-2A-03 of the Election Law Article. b. The student member shall be elected by the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils (CRASC) in accordance with 3-2A- 05 of the Election Law Article. 2. Qualifications a. Each member of the Board must be a resident of Anne Arundel County. b. A member elected from a councilmanic district in Anne Arundel County must be a resident of that district. c. A member who no longer resides in Anne Arundel County may not continue as a member of the Board. d. A member from a councilmanic district in Anne Arundel County who does not maintain residency in that district may not continue as a member of the Board. However, if a boundary line of a councilmanic district is changed, the term of the incumbent member of the Board who no longer resides in that councilmanic district because of the change is not affected during that term. e. An individual who is subject to the authority of the Board may not be appointed to serve on the Board. f. The student member of the Board shall be: i. A regularly enrolled senior year student of good character and in good standing in an Anne Arundel County public high school; Selected in the student s junior year by a method chosen by CRASC. 3. Term of Office a. Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, an elected member of the Board shall serve for a term of 4 years beginning the first Monday in
Page 5 of 6 December after the member s election and until a successor is elected and qualifies. b. The term of office of each member elected at the general election in 2018 is 6 years. c. Each elected member of the Board is eligible for reelection for a second consecutive term but may not be elected to serve on the Board for more than two consecutive terms. d. The student member serves for a term of 1 year and shall continue to serve after graduation and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 4. Vacancy Elected Members a. Beginning June 1, 2017: i. The School Board Appointment Commission of Anne Arundel County (SBAC) shall select and appoint qualified individuals to fill vacancies on the Board. i An individual who takes office to fill a vacancy for an elected or appointed member of the Board shall serve for the remainder of the term for which the appointment was made and until a successor is elected or appointed. In any election, if no candidate files a certificate of candidacy for the office or if no individual otherwise qualifies to have the individual s name placed on the ballot, the SBAC shall appoint a qualified individual to fill that vacancy no later than 30 days after the general election. b. Beginning November 1, 2020: i. The County Council of Anne Arundel County shall select a qualified individual to fill any vacancy in the office of an elected member of the Board for the remainder of the term and until a successor is elected and qualifies. In any election, if no candidate files a certificate of candidacy for the office or if no individual otherwise qualifies to have the individual s name placed on the ballot, the County Council of
Page 6 of 6 Student Member Anne Arundel County shall appoint a qualified individual to fill that vacancy no later than 30 days after the general election. If a vacancy in the position of the student member occurs during the term of the student member, CRASC shall: a. Conduct a special election at its next general meeting; and b. Utilize the same method that it used to select the previous student member of the Board to select another member to fill the vacancy. Policy History: Adopted on 02/07/07; Revised 01/07/09, 12/20/17 Note Previous Policy History: Replaces Policy 201, revised 10/16/89