Montgomery County Board of Education member Dr. Henry Lee resigned his seat effective at the end of the Board of Education meeting on October 12, 2004. Dr. Lee was elected by the Board of Education to serve as District 5 representative following the resignation of Reginald M. Felton. He was sworn into office July 1, 2004.

The Board of Education will initiate a process to select and appoint Dr. Lee's replacement for the remainder of the current term 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).

In a letter today to Board of Education President Sharon Cox and his colleagues, Dr. Lee said that he is stepping down to “spend more time with my three children who are students in the Montgomery County Public Schools.” He said, “I did not recognize the incredible time commitment expected of Board members, on weekdays, in the evenings, and on [the] weekend.”

Dr. Lee is a dentist with a practice in Olney and a long time community leader. He served on the Board of Education's Audit Subcommittee, the Research and Evaluation Subcommittee, and the Communications and Public Engagement Subcommittee.

“It is my sincerest hope that the programs we have discussed and advocated to address the ever growing diversity in Montgomery County will continue to advance,” said Dr. Lee.

Dr. Lee was selected from among five candidates chosen by the Board from a field of 17 individuals who had applied for the vacant seat. The selection took place at a special meeting held by the Board on June 17, 2004.