What’s the job: Sets policy and chooses the school system superintendent. The board also approves the district budget.

The eight-member board includes five members elected by district, two members elected county-wide and a student member chosen by students. School board elections are nonpartisan. Primaries are held if there are more than two candidates seeking a seat, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the General Election.

District 1 — Elkridge and portions of Ellicott City

Name: Andre Gao

Age: 64

Personal: Married 32 years, 3 children, lives in Ellicott City

Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Science and Technology of China; doctorate, physics, Duke University

Experience: First time running for public office

Endorsements: None at this time

Notable donors: No campaign finance contributors

Questionnaire

Spring questionnaire

Read the candidate’s answers to a previous Banner questionnaire.

Name: Meg Ricks

Age: 43

Personal: Married 21 years, 3 children, lives in Elkridge

Education: Bachelor’s degree, anthropology, Brigham Young University

Experience: Ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on the school board in 2022; elected to multiple PTA leadership positions including president, treasurer and secretary

Endorsements: Howard County Education Association, Columbia Democratic Club, Howard Progressive Project

Notable donors: No campaign finance contributors

Questionnaire

Read the candidate’s answers to a previous Banner questionnaire.

Spring questionnaire

District 2 — Columbia and portions of Ellicott City

Name: Larry Doyle

Did not respond to biographical questions or candidate questionnaire.

Name: Antonia Watts

Age: 43

Personal: Married, with children

Education: Bachelor’s degree, mechanical engineering, University of Delaware; master’s degree, bioengineering, University of California Berkeley; master’s degree, secondary education, University of Michigan

Experience: Board of Education member since 2020

Questionnaire

District 3 — North Laurel, Savage, portions of Columbia

Name: Jolene Mosley

Did not respond to biographical questions or candidate questionnaire.

District 4 — Clarksville, Fulton and portions of Columbia

Name: Julie Kaplan

Age: 52

Personal: Married 29 years, 2 children, lives in Fulton

Education: Bachelor’s degree, economics, University of Maryland, College Park; master’s degree, business administration, University of Maryland, College Park.

Experience: First time running for public office

Endorsements: Former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman; former County Councilman Jon Weinstein

Questionnaire

Name: Jen Mallo

Age: 55

Personal: Married 30 years, 3 children, lives in Columbia

Education: Bachelor’s degree, economics and East Asian studies, Wittenberg University; master’s degree, George Washington University; education finance certificate, Georgetown University.

Experience: Member of Howard school board; elected in 2018 and reelected in 2020

Endorsements: Columbia Democratic Club, Howard Progressive Project

Questionnaire

Read the candidate’s answers to a previous Banner questionnaire.

Spring questionnaire

District 5 — Dayton, Lisbon, Highland, Woodbine

Name: Andrea Chamblee

Age: 63

Personal: Widow of John McNamara, who was murdered in the Annapolis Capital Gazette 2018 shooting, remarried in 2022, grew up in Howard County and currently lives in District 5

Education: Bachelor’s degree, journalism, University of Maryland, College Park; graduate of University of Maryland Law School.

Experience: First time running for public office. Holds unelected positions as a regulatory affairs professional fellow and with Everytown for Gun Safety.

Endorsements: Howard County Education Association, Columbia Democratic Club, Howard Progressive Project

Questionnaire

Spring questionnaire

Read the candidate’s answers to a previous Banner questionnaire.

Name: Trent Kittleman

Age: 79

Personal: Widow of State Sen. Robert H. Kittleman, 2 children, currently lives in West Friendship

Education: Bachelor’s degree, English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; master’s degree, English literature, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; graduate University of Maryland School of Law; executive leadership coaching certificate, Georgetown University.

Experience: First elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014; served in that role until January 2023.

Endorsements: None.

Questionnaire

Read the candidate’s answers to a previous Banner questionnaire.

Spring questionnaire

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Jolene Mosley's name.