Annapolis Guide 8.30.26 - Flipbook - Page 21
Annapolis Guide | Sunday, August 30, 2026 21
EDUCATION
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Board of Education building, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis. JEFFREY F. BILL/STAFF
BACK TO SCHOOL
By Tanisha Bhat
The Board of Education of Anne
Arundel County consists of seven adults
and one student member. School board
members hold executive, legislative and
quasi-judicial powers. All eight members have full voting powers.
The adult members each represent a
county councilmanic district. The board
recently transitioned to an elected body,
and for the first time, all seven seats will
be up for election in November 2028.
The student member is elected by students and then appointed by the governor. In April, Sara Hamdaoui, a rising
senior at Crofton High School, was
elected the 53rd student board member.
Her platform is focused on expanding
representation for middle school students, strengthening student voices,
helping students understand board decisions and prioritizing mental health
resources.
Anne Arundel County’s student member of the board has had full voting
rights since 1975 and is the only member
of a local school board in the nation to
have that power. Hamdaoui’s term
started on July 1 and will end on June
30, 2027.
The board’s responsibilities include
A guide to public schools
and Board of Education
selecting and appointing the superintendent, adopting policies for the school
system, adopting the operating and
capital budgets, reviewing the superintendent’s administrative decisions, and
handling appeals of long-term student
suspensions and expulsions. It also considers recommendations of the superintendent to suspend or dismiss a certified
employee.
In June 2022, the system hired Mark
Bedell, superintendent of the public
schools in Kansas City, Missouri, to
helm the district. Over his 19-year career, Bedell also held positions in the
Houston and Baltimore County school
systems. In Kansas City, Bedell became
known for restoring the district’s full
state accreditation for the first time in
over a decade.
In June, the Anne Arundel board
voted to renew Bedell’s contract for another four years.
Generally, the board meets twice a
month during the school year, with one
meeting at noon and one at 6 p.m. The
board accepts written comments on any
topic and verbal testimony on agenda
items during its meetings, up to 10 people per item. Board meetings are broadcast live on AACPS-TV and can be livestreamed on YouTube, @aacpstv.
