As early voting begins, school board candidates make their case in online forum

Seven candidates for the Frederick County Board of Education explained on Tuesday how they would manage a deficit such as the one facing officials this budget cycle.

County Executive Jessica Fitzwater’s proposed Frederick County Public Schools allocation for the fiscal year 2025 is $53 million less than the amount recommended by Superintendent Cheryl Dyson and the current school board.

During a virtual forum on Tuesday, Patti Lee Worsley, a former teacher with experience in middle school language arts, special education and elementary education, suggested surveying Frederick County taxpayers and parents of FCPS students about which programs should be prioritized if budget cuts must occur.

She also said the school board should look at whether money is being wasted and appeal to the community to help make up the difference between the recommended and actual budgets.

Angie Vigliotti, a support professional for individuals with autism through Celebrate Ability LLC, said the budget deficit is something the school board must tackle each fiscal year.

Hiring more grant writers could help the district secure additional funding for capital projects like an improved Career and Technology Center, Vigliotti said.

Navian Scarlett, a full-time college student and volunteer with the gun violence prevention group Students Demand Action, said Frederick County officials need to do more to advocate for funding to help the growing student population.

Scarlett said the school system could save money by investing more on employee retention and less on outsourcing recruitment.

Rayna Remondini, head of the Howard County-based homeschooling co-op HCHC Leadership Academy, said she would scrutinize how much money in the school system is dedicated to “bureaucracy and the administration,” rather than vital programs.

Certain programs, such as universal free lunch, are “worthy of finding the money for,” Remondini said, while others could be cut.

Cecelia Moore Reidler, a retired science teacher who has worked in Frederick, Howard and Montgomery counties, said teachers and administrators at individual schools will strive to continue providing quality education to all students in spite of the budget deficit for fiscal year 2025.

Reidler said she would work to make sure the budget for fiscal year 2026 is adequate to support the needs of students and educators.

Janie Monier, a registered nurse and president of the New Market Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, said county officials and other residents need to keep advocating for a change to the school funding formula at the state level.

Monier said that, if class sizes must increase, school leaders should reduce the administrative tasks assigned to teachers, so they can devote more attention to students.

Chad King Wilson Sr., a social studies teacher and football coach at Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery County, said any member of the school board should be “an active advocate and activist” for fully funding Frederick County Public Schools.

“We need to go to the state and tell them exactly what we need for funding,” Wilson said, agreeing with other candidates about the need for a change to the school funding formula.

The state currently bases the per-pupil allocation for the coming academic year on the number of students enrolled at the start of the prior academic year — leaving students who arrive in between counts “unfunded.”

Policy questionsTuesday’s virtual forum was hosted by the Frederick County League of Women Voters. It was the final installment of a series of candidate forums the League hosted in advance of the 2024 primary election.

Sixteen candidates are competing for three open seats on the school board. One other person, Allison Medrano, has withdrawn from the race but will still appear on the primary ballot.

Current board members Sue Johnson, Jason Johnson and David Bass opted not to seek reelection this year. Jason Johnson is running for Congress instead.

The League previously held two forums for school board candidates and four forums for congressional candidates. The first school board forum, on April 25, featured six candidates.

In addition to sharing their takes on the budget, participants in Tuesday’s forum answered individual questions about education policy.

Asked about the potential removal of certain books from school media centers, Monier said children should have the freedom to read age-appropriate books.

Parents should be able to decide what their own children may read without imposing those decisions on other people’s children, she said.

On the achievement gap facing minority students, Scarlett said schools can’t always control what is going on in a student’s home or community, but students can better connect with and learn from teachers who share their background.

Asked about the FCPS policy on transgender and gender nonconforming students, Remondini said she would be concerned if her child’s school did not inform her of a request to be referred to by a different name or pronoun.

She said students deemed male at birth should have to use boys’ restrooms and should not be allowed to play on girls sports teams regardless of how they identify, calling it “a safety issue.”

On the topic of school resource officers, Worsley said there should be “open communication” between parents, school officials and law enforcement agencies. She said SROs should be trained on responding to students in crisis.

Asked whether FCPS should continue conducting cultural proficiency training, Reidler said “teachers need support to understand their children” and recognize their own implicit biases.

In response to a question about how FCPS can provide healthier school meals, Wilson said school officials should take advantage of Frederick County’s large farming community and agricultural education programs.

On the issue of redistricting, Vigliotti said it is important to have buy in from parents and students when considering a change to district boundaries, but changes are sometimes necessary to reduce overcrowding.

Six candidates will advance to the general election. All registered voters in Frederick County, regardless of party affiliation, are eligible to vote in the Board of Education primary.

The 2024 primary election will be on May 14, with early voting taking place from May 2 through 9. The general election will be Nov. 5.