School buses have been late. The budget has been cut. And families want answers. On Tuesday, Prince George’s County voters decided who they believe can help turn things around.
Four seats were up for grabs on the Prince George’s County Board of Education, which sets district policy, approves the budget and oversees the superintendent.
The winners will help oversee Maryland’s second-largest school district as it confronts transportation problems, financial pressures and concerns about student achievement.
The races were particularly consequential in District 2, which has been without a representative since June, and District 9, where Chandrai “CJ” Jackson-Saunders was appointed to the seat earlier this year.
District 2: A vacant seat gets a representative
Terence J. Clegg led Caroline Decaire-Goldin in District 2, earning 60% of the vote, as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
District 2 includes College Park, Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, Riverdale Park, New Carrollton and portions of Lanham and Hyattsville. Its schools include Eleanor Roosevelt and Parkdale high schools, Greenbelt Middle School and Dora Kennedy French Immersion.
Clegg appears likely to fill a seat left vacant when board member Jonathan Briggs unexpectedly resigned in June. His departure, for reasons that remain unclear, left the district without representation for more than four months.
Clegg, an attorney, state government administrator and father of three PGCPS students, campaigned on improving transportation, protecting specialty programs and making district spending more efficient. He proposed bringing more transportation professionals into district operations and examining overlapping technology subscriptions before cutting classroom resources.
Clegg said his experience as a parent would guide his decisions.
“I see teachers who work hard every day, students excited to learn and principals who put in extra hours and care to create safe, nurturing schools,” he said.
District 3: Competing visions for accountability
Juan Arango-Millan is leading Jamie McGonnigal in District 3, earning about 58% of the vote as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
District 3 covers communities including Hyattsville, University Park, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Mount Rainier and Edmonston. Its schools include Hyattsville Elementary and Middle, Northwestern High and César Chávez Dual Spanish Immersion.
The winner will succeed Pamela Boozer-Strother, whose term expires this year.
Arango-Millan, a Brentwood Town Council member, former educator and workforce development professional, campaigned on improving district oversight, protecting classroom resources and strengthening communication with families, particularly Spanish-speaking households.
Arango-Millan, who experienced foster care and housing instability growing up, said public education helped provide stability during his childhood.
“I know what public education made possible in my life, and I want every PGCPS student to have that same chance,” he said.
He also proposed early-warning systems to identify students struggling with attendance and additional support for families facing transportation and housing barriers.
District 6: A new face replaces the board chair
Tyra Janet Bennett was leading Ashley Kearney in District 6, with about 53% of the vote as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
She would succeed board Chair Branndon Jackson, who did not seek reelection.
District 6 covers communities like District Heights, Forestville, Walker Mill, Westphalia and parts of the Largo area. Its schools include Central and Largo high schools, Ernest Everett Just Middle School and Phyllis E. Williams Spanish Immersion.
Bennett, founder of the District 6 Literacy & Learning Lab, a volunteer tutoring initiative, made improving foundational reading and math skills central to her campaign. She called for targeted academic support, greater transparency about district spending and measurable results from educational programs.
Bennett, who also has experience teaching golf and working in health care, said she would bring a community-centered perspective to the board.
“I believe the people making decisions about our schools need to listen to the people experiencing those decisions every day: students, families, educators and staff,” she said.
District 9: An appointed incumbent faces voters
Erica K. Bennett was leading incumbent Chandrai “CJ” Jackson-Saunders in District 9 with about 53% of the vote as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
District 9, the largest school district, serves part of southern Prince George’s County, including Upper Marlboro, Brandywine and Fort Washington communities. Schools in the district include Gwynn Park High School, Surrattsville High School and Imagine Andrews Public Charter School.
The race was the only one of the four featuring a sitting board member, Jackson-Saunders. She was unanimously appointed to the seat earlier this year.
Bennett, a longtime PGCPS educator and elementary school principal, defeated an appointed incumbent after campaigning on her classroom and school leadership experience.
An Oxon Hill High School graduate, Bennett has spent more than two decades working in education, including nine years as a principal. She proposed having drivers test bus routes before the school year, conducting an independent organizational audit and monitoring district spending and student achievement more closely.
Bennett said improving math achievement would require more than drilling students on procedures.
“Students need opportunities to explain their thinking, solve complex problems, and make connections — not just practice procedures,” she said.
All four winners are scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 4.
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