SALISBURY – Wicomico County will make another bid this year at legislation enabling a referendum on an appointed versus and elected public school board, but officials are still seeking clarification on what the referendum should look like.
For years, Wicomico County has wrestled with the concept of going from a school board appointed by the governor to an elected school board or a combination of the two. In 2011, a bill in the General Assembly that would have put the question to the voters in Wicomico through the referendum process passed the House, but failed in the Senate when the clock expired on the session.
Four years later in the 2015 session, another attempt at taking the elected versus appointed school board question to referendum stalled in the General Assembly. County officials have since held four public hearings on the issue, taking testimony from stakeholders in all corners of the county and the County Council is now preparing a renewed effort at getting legislation passed in the upcoming General Assembly session to get the referendum question on the ballot in time for the 2016 general election.
However, county officials this week were still wrestling on the language in the proposed legislation and perhaps more importantly, what the referendum question might actually look like. Wicomico remains one of the few counties in the state with a school board fully appointed by the governor. After an extensive public hearing process, the referendum question has been winnowed down to three choices: keep a fully appointed school board; move to fully-elected seven-member school board; or opt for a school board consisting of five elected members and two appointed members.
With the clock now ticking on the upcoming General Assembly session, Councilman Marc Kilmer on Tuesday said the council needs to tighten up its proposed legislation and decide on the elements of the referendum question.
“We heard strong interest in an elected school board or hybrid school board,” he said. “With the three options under consideration, we are getting conflicting advice about the legality of the referendum. From the information we’ve received, it would be good if we had something to Annapolis by Nov. 15.”
Historically, referendum questions on a ballot require a simple yes or no answer by voters. However, having three options on Wicomico’s school board referendum, including the appointed school board, a fully-elected school board or the hybrid option, could lead to trouble, according to Councilman John B. Hall.
“I don’t think there has ever been a three-option referendum,” he said. “I really think we need to keep this simple.”
Councilman Larry Dodd agreed the three-option referendum could muddy the process and confuse voters.
“I think we need an up or down vote,” he said. “I agree we need to keep it simple. Whatever we do, somebody won’t be happy.”
After considerable debate, the council decided to move forward with the three-option referendum. The consensus was a yes vote for a continued appointed school board would technically be a no vote for an elected board of any kind. Similarly, a yes vote for either of the two elected options, the full seven-member elected board or the hybrid board, would be a no vote for appointed board.
The Wicomico County NAACP branch has been at the forefront of the elected versus appointed school board issue since its inception and has pushed for equal representation regardless of what the final referendum looks like. Chapter President Mary Ashante told the council on Tuesday the NAACP was satisfied with the three-option referendum question.
With that debate dispensed with, the council turned its attention to how to appoint the two members in the proposed hybrid school board. With five members elected and two appointed, a decision is needed on whether to have the governor continue to make the two appointments, or the County Council, or possible a Nominating Committee made up of stakeholders.
County Executive Bob Culver said if the hybrid school board emerged successfully in the referendum, he would like to see the County Council make the two appointments.
“First of all, I would like to see a seven-member appointed school board,” he said. “If the hybrid option emerges, I would like to see the County Council make the two appointments. The County Executive works closely with the school board.”
Whatever option emerges, Wicomico County is not exactly breaking ground with a new school board system. Most counties in Maryland currently have a fully-elected or hybrid school board.
“It is complicated, but we’re not re-inventing the wheel,” Kilmer said. “There is precedent for this.”
After years of often contentious debate, the council should take all steps to make sure the process is palatable for all stakeholders, according to Dodd.
“I just want the public to be happy,” he said. “That’s what’s most important for me. If the hybrid option comes through, I think we need a nominating committee to make sure the stakeholders are represented in the process.”