Council Majority To Call for Partially Elected School Board

A majority of the Baltimore County Council is expected to call for a change in how the school board is selected.

Sources familiar with the matter said council members are planning to ask the task force currently reviewing the composition of the county's appointed Board of Education to add elected members.

That proposed change would create a hybrid school board. Seven members of the hybrid board would be made up of members elected from each of the seven council districts. The other four would be appointed.

The call for a hybrid board Olszewski is a member of the school board task force, and has talked about wanting to continue with the current system for filling school board positions  — but with members appointed by the county executive rather than the governor.

The council, which has five freshman members, continues to show a willingness to take public stands on issues outside of their roles as local legislators. This is different from councils over the last two decades.

In interviews earlier this year, Councilwoman Vicki Almond and Councilman David Marks said they would support state legislators who wanted to create a hybrid or fully elected school board.

In June, five of seven council members signed a letter urging county residents to that would place a bill granting in-state tuition rates to some illegal immigrants on the 2012 ballot.

The school board task force held the last of its three public meetings last week.

Its expected to deliver a to the county's delegates and senators by Oct. 1.