Hana O’Looney, a rising senior at Richard Montgomery High School, will be sworn in as the 44th Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) for the 2021–2022 school year on July 1 at 5 p.m., at Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville. She will be sworn in by Clerk of the Court Karen A. Bushell. The swearing-in ceremony will be livestreamed on MCPS TV and on the MCPS website.

Ms. O’Looney was elected to serve a one-year term on the Board by middle and high school students of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). She received 78.3 percent of the vote in the April 23, 2021, election.

Ms. O’Looney served as vice president of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association, and as chair of MoCo EmpowHER. She also has served as president of the Montgomery County Junior Councils (MCJC), the countywide middle school student government; on the MCPS District Assessment Committee and on the Systemwide Wellness Committee. 

The SMOB is a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. The SMOB can vote on matters related to collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets, and school closings, reopenings and boundaries. The SMOB cannot vote on negative personnel actions. The SMOB is not paid, but receives a $5,000 college scholarship, Student Service Learning hours, and one honors-level social studies credit.

Ms. O’Looney succeeds Nick Asante, a 2021 graduate of Richard Montgomery High School.

For more information, visit the Student Member of the Board website.