New Faces Will Reshape School Board In Calvert

The Calvert County Board of Education will experience significant turnover after Tuesday, with three of its five seats open and no incumbents running.

None of the current board members have children in the Calvert public school system, but five of the six candidates do. The only one without a school-age child is a 20-year-old college student who graduated from Huntingtown High School two years ago.

In St. Mary's County, voters will elect three school board members. All three incumbents are seeking reelection, and only one faces opposition.

There are no school board elections in Charles County.

Candidates in Calvert have expressed the need for a nonpartisan board that would be more communicative with parents, especially in light of a divisive elementary school redistricting issue this year. During that process, board members refused to directly answer parents' questions or meet with them outside public board sessions.

"The current board is pretty arrogant," said candidate Patrick E. Flaherty, 44, of Lusby. "What this board needs is leadership. Someone who actually rocks the boat in a good way."

Candidate Tracy H. McGuire, 45, of Huntingtown said the board votes unanimously and appears to avoid controversy. Dissenting votes could "build confidence in board decisions" by showing that many viewpoints were vetted, she said.

"I feel like controversy is not a bad thing," McGuire said.

For the past year, Calvert candidates have been planting campaign signs around the county, debating in public forums, building Web sites and attending gatherings at supporters' homes. Although Calvert school board candidates run according to the district they live in, voters across the county may cast ballots in all races, regardless of the district they live in.

The biggest challenge for the next school board will be money, as the national economic downturn and growing state deficit threaten to drastically reduce funding for public schools in Calvert and elsewhere.

Several candidates suggested that the school system seek more private partnerships and grants, but all said that cuts may be inevitable. Many expressed the need for board members to talk openly with parents during budget deliberations.

William "Bill" Chambers of Lusby, running in District 1, said the school system needs to create a grants department to search for funding. He said it also needs to leave some positions open until the system can afford to "aggressively pursue" the best candidates. "The next board will have to be visionary and creative," said Chambers, 50.