Montgomery County Board of Education Vice President Reginald M. Felton has announced his intention to resign his seat by July, as he prepares to move out of his Silver Spring home and end his residential qualification as the representative of District 5.

The action prompts the initiation of a process by the Board of Education to select and appoint his replacement for the remainder of the current term and until the election of a permanent replacement in 2006. The appointment process will be announced later.

The Board of Education includes five district representatives, two at-large representatives, and one student member. Maryland law requires that district representatives live within the geographical boundaries of their districts.

District 5 includes an area stretching from Silver Spring through Burtonsville, Olney, and Brookeville in Eastern Montgomery County. A district map, provided by the Board of Elections, is available at the link below. The precincts that comprise the district are identified in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, §3-901(f)(3)(viii).

Letter to Colleagues Announced Plan

In a letter yesterday [Monday, April 26] to Board of Education President Sharon Cox and his colleagues, Felton said that he regrets having to resign but supported the residency requirement as a way of ensuring geographic representation on the Board.

Felton is the longest serving current member of the Board. Elected in 1994, he has served three terms as president and twice as vice president, in addition to his current term. He is chair of the Research and Evaluation Subcommittee, a member of the Audit Committee, and represents the Board on the Budget Committee of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. He is the director of federal relations for the National School Boards Association.

“I very much appreciate and will forever remember the tremendous support given to me from the voters of this county; from other elected local, state, and national officials; and from my former and current colleagues on the Board,” said Felton. He said he looked “forward to serving the residents of Montgomery County in another capacity at some future time.”

While also acknowledging support from the superintendent, executive staff, principals, teachers, administrators, and support staff, Felton expressed special appreciation for “the students who remind us daily why it is so very important to continue high quality public education as a priority.”