The resignation of a school board member with four years remaining on her five-year term has increased the potential number of vacancies on the 12-member board to three.

However, Carney resident Meg O'Hare will remain on the board.

Catonsville resident Donna Flynn, who was appointed to the board July 1, 2007, by Gov. Martin O'Malley, sent a letter to the governor saying her new job prevents her from regularly attending board meetings, according to school board President JoAnn Murphy.

"Her new job responsibilities with the College Board made it impossible," said Murphy, who had been appointed as an at-large member by Gov. Robert Ehrlich in 2005.

Flynn did not return calls for comment about her decision. The College Board is a nonprofit membership organization that administers the SAT, among other assessments.

Flynn had been a teacher at then-Catonsville Junior High School and also served as principal at Arbutus Middle School.

She was the first principal at Sudbrook Magnet Middle School when it became the county's first magnet middle school. Students from Catonsville and Arbutus middle schools, as well as Pikesville, Old Court and Woodlawn middle schools, may apply for acceptance to Sudbrook.

She had been named by O'Malley to be one of the board's four at-large members. The other at-large members are Murphy, O'Hare and Pikesville resident Joy Shillman.

Shillman's five-year term has expired.

Shillman is interested in serving a second term, pending reappointment by the governor, according to Murphy.

In addition to Flynn, the board will lose longtime member John Hayden.

The Towson resident, who represented the Fifth District, has served two terms and cannot be reappointed.

Although school board terms expire at the end of June, members continue to serve until the governor takes action.

A spokeswoman with O'Malley's office could not say July 28 when the governor would announce his decision, as he is currently interviewing candidates for all Maryland counties.

Murphy, who was appointed by Ehrlich in 2005, said she does not know who from Baltimore County may be applying to serve on the board, because applicants typically contact the governor directly.

Murphy said she hopes O'Malley will make his decisions before a daylong board retreat scheduled for Aug. 9 at school system headquarters in Towson.

During the retreat, which is open to the public, members discuss goals for the year.

It's a good opportunity for new members to get to know other board members, she said.

Board members receive $100 a year for their service, which can amount to nearly a full-time job, according to Murphy.

"People don't do it for the compensation," she said. "During the school year, it can take 30 hours a week, visiting schools, reading all the material -- that takes time -- and going to subcommittee meetings."

The board also includes a representative for each of the county's seven County Council districts as well as a student representative.

Paradise resident Joseph Pallozzi was appointed by Ehrlich in 2005 to represent the First District, which includes Catonsville and Arbutus.

The student representative on the school board for 2008-2009 is Annette Karanja, a rising senior at Kenwood High School. She replaced Audrey Dittman, who attended Carver Center for Arts and Technology.

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user comments (1)

user davidmarks1 says...

Governor Ehrlich's appointees were extraordinarily helpful in advancing support for a new high school, particularly Meg O'Hare, Fran Harris, and Rodger Janssen. Let's hope the new choices are as independent-minded and sensitive to the long-term needs of our overcrowded schools.

Posted 10:58 AM, 07.31.08

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