Updated: Frederick County school board race remains tight
The Frederick County Board of Education race was too close to call early Wednesday after results from Election Day were shared.
There were six candidates on the ballot for the school board, competing for three open seats.
Based on results from early voting, some mail-in ballots and all 66 precincts on Election Day, the figures were:
* Jaime Kiersten Brennan: 49,248
* Colt Morningstar Black: 48,061
* Janie Monier: 43,110
* Josh Bokee: 41,883
* Chad King Wilson Sr.: 38,185
* Veronica D. Lowe: 33,865
Heather Fletcher registered to be a write-in candidate for the school board and campaigned with Brennan and Black. The Maryland State Board of Elections data on Tuesday night showed zero votes for Fletcher, but 21,315 votes for "other write-ins." It was unclear how many of those votes counted toward Fletcher.
David Bass, Jason Johnson and Sue Johnson currently hold the three seats that were on the ballot. None of the incumbents sought reelection.
The Maryland State Board of Elections sent out 41,572 mail-in ballots to Frederick County voters as of 6 p.m. on Sunday, according to general election data. Of the mail-in ballots, 23,120 were sent to Democrats, 9,284 were sent to Republicans and 9,168 were sent to voters who are in another party or unaffiliated.
The state Board of Elections received a total of 30,356 mail-in ballots as of 6 p.m. on Sunday, including 17,573 ballots from Democrats, 6,781 ballots from Republicans and 6,002 ballots from voters who are in another party or unaffiliated.
The school board candidates have a variety of backgrounds, occupations and ideas to improve the school district.
Brennan, a certified public accountant and former chair for the Frederick County chapter of Moms for Liberty, said in a podcast interview with The Frederick News-Post that she would address academic performance and meeting the needs of all students if elected to the board.
She said in the interview that more options like career programs and charter schools in the school district would help address the individual needs of students who may learn differently from other students.
Brennan also discussed wanting to improve board transparency with the community by being "an open book," and said that she "doesn't keep secrets."
Black, the director of Black's Funeral Home and the Acacia Society in Sabillasville, said in an interview with the News-Post that he would advocate for parent's rights in FCPS if elected to the board.
He said in the interview that "parents have the right to ensure their values are being met with their students at school." Black added that another goal of his is to expand technology and career programs in the school district because college is not a viable option for every student.
Monier, a registered nurse and president of the New Market Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, has said that she would address staffing issues if elected to the board.
She said she would work to retain the current FCPS employees, including teachers and bus drivers, as well as bring in new hires.
Monier added that she would work to improve teaching and learning conditions, like addressing overcrowded classrooms and aging buildings. She said these conditions can hurt the mental health of students and teachers.
Bokee, former alderman for the city of Frederick and founder of the nonprofit organization Connect for Broadband, said in an interview that he would prioritize improving school conditions and securing more funding for school construction projects.
He said he would advocate for students in overcrowded and aging buildings to the state and would be transparent about the needs of the fast-growing county.
Bokee added that the county is in "a school construction funding crisis," and that students are not receiving equitable educations because of the conditions.
Lowe, deputy director of labor relations at the Maryland Transit Administration and former director of transportation for FCPS, has said that she would help implement the Blueprint for Maryland's Future if elected to the board.
The Blueprint is a set of mandates and funding intended to improve the quality and equity of public education in the state.
She said the Blueprint can help close the achievement gap by spreading resources to students who do not currently have access to them. Lowe added that "by using the steps that are in the Blueprint, we can achieve a lot of the things we want."
Wilson, a high school teacher and football coach at Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery County, said in an interview with the News-Post that he would improve special education programs in FCPS if elected.
He said he spent 13 years as a special education teacher and taught students with learning and emotional disabilities.
Wilson said special education programs in the school district should meet the individual needs of students, and that he believes that how "the students that need the most help" are treated "reflects how your school system should be measured."
