Lutherville-Timonium Reacts to “No Changes” to School Board Recommendation

A least one influential Lutherville-Timonium resident is dissatisfied today, following an announcement yesterday from the task force in charge of reviewing how members are appointed to the Board County School Board.

The task force . Currently, the governor appoints the 12-member body.

The announcement didn’t sit well with Greater Timonium Community Council president Eric Rocket who said, “that’s very disappointing news.”

“I wonder if the task force really heard the citizens because there was a significant number of citizens that want either an all-elected or hybrid board,” he continued.

Rockel attended , and wrote letters to task force co-chairs Sen. Kathy Klausmeier and Del. Stephen Lafferty, to get his message out there. He represents the council, which comprises 63 community associations from Lutherville to Cockeysville.

“It just doesn’t seem to make sense in light of all the public feeling there,” Rockel said. “It also doesn’t make sense in light of the fact that the majority of localities, not only in Maryland, but around the country have elected school boards.”

During the , Rockel said he supported an all-elected school board, but would be satisfied with a board comprised of  five elected and five appointed members. He was quoted saying the current system is “an abomination.” He urged residents to write local legislators, but it seems requests fell on deaf ears.

“We view the county school system still as a good school system but we’re concerned that they haven’t, within the last 10 years or so, been responsive to the electorate, the citizens’, concerns about various issues,” Rockel continued.