The Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland authorizes the election of a student member of the Howard County Board of Education. Howard County Policy 2010 specifies that Howard County students in grades 6-11 shall have the opportunity to elect the Student Member of the Howard County Board of Education to a one-year term.  
    
Any current sophomore or junior regularly enrolled in an HCPSS high school and eligible to participate in extra curricular activities may apply to serve as the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB). The student elected by the students of Howard County will serve a one-year term on the Howard County Board of Education from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
    
Applicants must submit a Student Member of the Board of Education Application which includes a resume, essay responses, a signed statement of parent/guardian permission, and two letters of recommendation. The complete application packet must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024.

The Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC) Advisor and Superintendent Designee will review each application for completeness and to ensure alignment with HCPSS Policy 9070-Academic Eligibility for High School Extracurricular Activities.

Each applicant, along with their parent or guardian, must attend a Rules and Expectations meeting Tuesday February 27, 2024. Student Member of the Board of Education Applicants may not campaign or reach out to delegates or convention organizers in any way prior to the SMOB Convention. 

Students in grades 6-11 can engage in the SMOB process by working with their school based administrators to select those students who will serve as delegates, applying to serve as delegates, applying to serve as the Student Member of the Board, and serving as engaged and informed citizens.

An overview of the SMOB process is available on the Student Member of the Board Process Portal.