Teen Wows Adult Colleagues on School Board

Although she won’t admit it,  senior Jillian Buck is one of the most unique students in the nation.

It’s not because she volunteers weekly, works on the robotics team or spends her summers on service projects. As the student member on the Board of Education in Anne Arundel County, Buck is believed to be the only student in the nation on a local board with full voting rights.

Elected as the student member for the Board of Education in March, Buck beat out more . Student members on the county's board have had full voting rights since the 1975-76 school year. 

After being appointed to the board, Buck earned the same amount of influence as her adult colleagues on the board with the power to vote on all topics including budget, personnel and negotiations.

“Some boards let students vote on certain things but not others,” Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) spokesman Bob Mosier wrote in an email to Patch. “To our knowledge, she is the only board member of a ‘local’ board of education with full voting rights.”

The 18-year-old, who lives in Crofton, spends hours each week reading board documents and packets, making sure she’s prepared for each hearing and event.

“Sometimes [the board packets] can be two to three hours of reading, but sometimes it’s definitely more,” Buck said. “We constantly get emails on different issues so I have to weigh the pros and cons so I know how I want to vote based on prior information.”

Buck may still be in high school, but her fellow board members say she comes with a maturity and organization far beyond her age.

“[The student board member] is a remarkable position and it takes a remarkable person to do it. Jillian does a wonderful job,” board member Teresa Birge said. “She is very deliberate and studied in what she does.”

Birge said Buck doesn’t run from conflict and easily handles discussion in the context of the board.

“She’s not afraid that she has to be polite,” Birge said.

In addition to her two jobs, volunteering and the being an active board member, Buck is an active Girl Scout.

Birge tried to sell Girl Scout cookies for her daughter, Claire, to the members of the board but learned quickly Buck already beat her to it.

“I don’t know how she does it," Birge said. 

Buck laughed when asked if she is “missing out” on her teenage years.

“There are no board meetings on Friday and Saturday nights,” Buck said. “I don’t feel like I miss out on too much.”

The South River senior said she wants to pursue a nursing degree in college. Whatever she does in the future, Buck has already made a lasting impression on her adult colleagues.

Birge said she would “absolutely” be proud of her daughter if she grew up to be like Buck.