Harford County's new board of education may be filled soon, as Gov. Larry Hogan's office said appointments to the three seats the governor controls could be announced in the next few weeks.
"The Appointments Office is still collecting nominations/candidate names for all county school boards, so we're still in the beginning of the process," press secretary Erin Montgomery said via email, noting she spoke with the governor's appointments secretary and Harford resident, James Fielder Jr.
"We won't be announcing a final decision until after the end of the legislative session," Montgomery said. The General Assembly's 2015 session was due to end Monday, April 13; however, Hogan signed an executive order this week to extend the session up to 10 days to complete passage of the 2015-16 budget.
Effective July 1, Harford will have its first full "hybrid" school board, as established by a 2009 state law, consisting of six elected members and three members appointed by the governor. A student member rounds out the board. The state law was largely crafted by then state senator Barry Glassman, now Harford's county executive.
Among the current board, three members – Nancy Reynolds, Thomas Fitzpatrick and Robert Frisch – were each elected last November to one of the three seats corresponding to Harford County Council districts.
Two other members, Alysson Krchnavy and Arthur Kaff, lost election bids but remain on the board until their terms expire June 30.
Joining the board July 1 by virtue of their election victories will be Jansen Robinson, Joseph Voskuhl and Rachel Gauthier, leaving Hogan three at-large seats to fill.
The four remaining members – Cassandra Beverley, Francis "Rick" Grambo, James Thornton and Joseph Hau – did not seek election to the board, although Beverley and Thornton ran unsuccessfully for House of Delegates and County Council president, respectively.
All four of their school board terms also expire June 30, and each could have sought appointments from Hogan.
Grambo previously said he did not want to continue after his term expires. Hau could not be reached for comment.
Kaff, who joined the board in 2012, said last week he did not apply to Hogan to be appointed.
"I decided some time ago not to apply," he wrote in an email.
Krchnavy, who joined the board in 2008 and is its longest serving member, declined to comment on whether she wants to stay on.
"I certainly hope the governor will make a good choice based on experience and demographics," Krchnavy said, adding she hopes his appointees would serve the entire county, not just a particular school district.
"We are not the only hybrid board now," she said, noting that other counties, most notably neighboring Baltimore County, have gone to part appointed and part elected school boards. Baltimore County's hybrid board will be implemented in 2018.
Although "it's exciting" to be the first, Krchnavy said she does not envy the governor's decision in helping to compile a board with both appointed and elected members.
Thornton said he did not seek re-appointment, noting he was just appointed to the Harford County Planning Advisory Board by County Executive Barry Glassman and hopes to focus his attention on that.
"I believe at this point that is going to be my level of involvement," Thornton said Monday, adding he is pleased with what he accomplished on the school board and was glad to work with the other members.
"I thoroughly enjoyed serving on the board," he said.
Beverley also said she does not plan to submit her name to the governor for an appointment.
"It was a great experience. However, I just have other interests that I want to volunteer in," she said.
Beverley, who was elected to the board in 2010 along with Frisch and Grambo, said the board's set-up with elected and appointed members has been working well.
"We have been operating as a hybrid board for a while now. I feel as though it's worked out," she said. "I feel we worked well together."