Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. has announced appointments to a newly formed Task Force on School Safety. Patricia B. O’Neill, member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, is among the 19 appointees. Among the topics that will be studied by the task force are the potential for natural disasters, exposure to hazardous substances, and planning for emergencies.

Seven task force members were appointed by the governor, and the rest were named in consultation with the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House, the state superintendent of schools, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, the State Police, and the attorney general of Maryland.

The task force will begin convening once the Senate president and the House speaker select a chair from among the members. The complete roster of members is listed below. Findings and recommendations on issues related to school safety will be reported by December 1, 2007.

Parent Representatives
Donald T. Bridges, Baltimore County
Christopher F. Drummond, Esquire, Queen Anne's County

Student Representatives
Jillian Shpuntoff, Anne Arundel County
Corinne Ung, Howard County

Public School Teachers
Lorraine Anders, Talbot County
Jane Brandt, Frederick County
Patricia Cook-Ferguson, Baltimore County
Elizabeth Weller, Kent County

Nonpublic School Representative
Michael G. Caruso, Ph.D., Montgomery County

Knowledgeable in Serving Students with Disabilities
Kathleen M. Lyon, St. Mary's County

School Psychiatrist/Sociologist
Cynthia Shulmeyer, Howard County

Representatives of Maryland Association of Boards of Education
John A. Hayden, III, Esquire, Baltimore County
Patricia B. O'Neill, Montgomery County

Representative of School Bus Drivers
Robert A. Ginter, Carroll County

Representing Maryland General Assembly
Honorable Gwendolyn Britt, Prince George's County
Honorable Nancy King, Montgomery County

Departmental Representatives
Ann Chafin, Representing State Superintendent of Schools
Colonel Walter Landon, Representing Secretary of State Police
Carolyn Quattrocki, Representing Attorney General