Jan. 6, 2025, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) opened the voting window for the next Student Member of the Board (SMOB). SMOB is the student who represents students on the Board of Education (BOE). The current SMOB is Alex Thomas, a senior at Linganore High School.
Thomas has visited FCPS schools and attends BOE meetings, along with some committee meetings. Additionally, as SMOB Thomas has utilized the Student Member Advisory Council (SMAC) to help hear FCPS student voices. Thomas then uses the input and comments gathered from SMAC to represent students on the BOE.
“I think it’s important for students to vote because it allows for students to have at least some say in the governance of the school system,” Thomas shared, “It also gives the SMOB once elected, a larger mandate to govern and wield influence if more students vote.”
Additionally, Thomas mentioned in an interview with him that SMOBs play an important role in advising the board on their decisions during meetings. “And surprisingly SMOBs have a high role in curriculum and course development for students,” Thomas stated, “But it also depends on the student elected, and their ability to wield influence over the board members, along with central office staff.”
Furthermore, Thomas shared that the SMOB holds the same responsibilities and roles as the other board of education members, except for voting. Thomas has the power to put items on the agenda, and is privy to sensitive information, can attend school visits, and even meet with other local and state legislators.
This year there are only two applications running to be the FCPS next SMOB: Thora Mintz and AnnaBelle Fouche.
Mintz shared how she decided to run for SMOB because she hears stories from friends across the county about students not being engaged and facing other issues. “I simply didn’t see any of these issues being actively addressed,” Mintz said, “I figured, why not do it myself.”
Thora Mintz is a current sophomore at Governor Thomas Johnson High School (GTJHS). Mintz runs on her platform “Know Thora C.A.R.Es.” “C.A.R.E” is an acronym for “Communication, Access, Respect, and Engagement.”
Based off of her social media platform (via Instagram) @vote4thora, Mintz wants to continue to develop a deeper understanding of FCPS’s diversity and create an inclusive community who communicates their needs to highlight such diversity.
Additionally, Mintz would advocate for equal access among students for school programs such as free lunches and additional educational support. Mintz shares how she would work towards improved safety regulations to decrease the amount of violence that occurs.
Finally, Mintz stated how she would look into more unique ways to get students more engaged in their courses, whether this means more freedom when selecting courses or building the curriculum.
The second candidate for FCPS SMOB is sophomore from Catoctin High School (CHS), AnnaBelle Fouche. Fouche has been running on her platform of “Thriving Schools.”
Fouche shared that she wanted to run for SMOB because, “I looked around and through ‘I can do more’… It wasn’t until my first FCASC meeting that I realized I could do more for students, not just in my school but all throughout Frederick County.”
Fouche has shared on her social media platform (via Instagram) @annabelle4smob, three main points to help FCPS schools thrive. Point one being to improve mental health resources within schools. She explained that she would carry this point out through advocating for “more counselors, wellness programs, and resources to help students,” Fouche stated.
Fouche shared that her second point would be to promote rural high schools, guaranteeing them to have equal representation as the larger schools in the county to the BOE. Additionally, she would work to promote low-income students through “…advocating for fairer funding that goes towards upgraded technology, buildings, and after-school programs.”
Furthermore, Fouche’s last point in her “Thriving Schools” platform is to tackle academic stress and challenges among FCPS students. “I plan to do this by promoting more balanced school schedules,” Fouche stated, “I would also advocate for flexible homework policies, and support for overwhelmed students.”
Make sure you take the time to educate yourself on both candidates as they will represent students on the BOE. Below is a video of the FCPS SMOB Candidate Town Hall where the two candidates answered questions live.
Here is the voting link, voting closes Jan. 30, 2025.