The Montgomery County Board of Education is committed to strengthening community engagement and communication. To bolster this commitment, the Board is creating a new advisory committee that will focus on these areas. The Board also announces new leaders and members for its other committees, which are essential to the Board’s work.

The Board sees an opportunity to strengthen community connections by creating a standing advisory committee focused on communications and engagement. Each year, the committee will address one key topic aimed at improving communication and engagement. During its first year, the committee will focus on the upcoming boundary studies for the Crown and Woodward High School projects and the expansion of Damascus High School. 

The new advisory committee will include community members, allowing them to play an active role in the process. The vice president will serve as the Board's representative on the committee. The advisory committee replaces the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Committee established in 2019. More details about the committee's work will be shared soon.

The Board also announces new leadership and membership for its existing committees:

• Fiscal Management, chaired by Karla Silvestre and including Natalie Zimmerman, Laura Stewart, and Praneel Suvarna.
• Policy Management, chaired by Julie Yang and including Karla Silvestre, Brenda Wolff, and Praneel Suvarna.
• Special Populations, chaired by Grace Rivera-Oven and including Rita Montoya and Laura Stewart.
• Strategic Planning, chaired by Brenda Wolff and including Natalie Zimmerman and Rita Montoya.

The Board of Education’s committees explore topics in detail to provide recommendations to the full Board. All committee meetings are open to the public and livestreamed. 

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