Three appointed and six elected school board members were sworn-in as the first Harford County Board of Education of a so-called hybrid board this week. The transition from an appointed board to a board of both elected and appointed members is the result of state legislation passed six years ago, as reported in the Baltimore Sun.

(1) SIX ELECTED MEMBERS; (2) THREE APPOINTED MEMBERS; (3) THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, WHO IS AN EX OFFICIO NONVOTING MEMBER; AND (4) ONE NONVOTING STUDENT MEMBER.

(1) OF THE NINE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY BOARD: (I) ONE MEMBER SHALL BE ELECTED FROM EACH OF THE SIX COUNCILMANIC DISTRICTS ONLY BY THE VOTERS OF THAT COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT; AND (II) THREE MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

As described in the Department of Legislative Services’ handbook, Education in Maryland (2014), four counties have hybrid school boards,

The composition of the local boards of education varies, with 5 to 14 members serving three- to five-year terms. Seventeen counties have elected school boards, three counties have school boards that are appointed or jointly appointed by the Governor, and four counties have combined elected and appointed boards, including several unique arrangements. Twenty-two boards have student members, but only seven boards allow student members to vote on matters excluding collective bargaining and other personnel and budgetary decisions.

For more information, read the full story from the Sun, the bill information page for Senate Bill 629, and more information from Education in Maryland.