Student Leadership → Student Member of the Board
Student Member of the Board
The Student Member of the Board (SMOB) is a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. The SMOB can vote on matters related to collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets, and school closings, reopenings and boundaries, but not on negative personnel actions. Montgomery County is one of two counties in Maryland to give this position full voting rights. The SMOB is not paid, but receives a $5,000 college scholarship, Student Service Learning hours, and one honors-level social studies credit.
Listen to what students had to say about the importance of voting in this election:
Praneel Suvarna
Praneel Suvarna, a senior at Clarksburg High School, serves as the 47th Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) for the 2024-25 school year.
Mr. Suvarna’s inspiration to be on the Board of Education is his goal of making a meaningful impact on the county and amplifying every student's voice. His enthusiasm for policy work complements his commitment to advocacy and representation.
This year, Mr. Suvarna is prioritizing school safety and addressing the drug crisis, aiming to ensure equitable access to resources for all students, including Narcan training—a critical tool for opioid-overdose intervention. Additionally, he is an advocate for comprehensive mental health resources and support systems in every school, from elementary to high school.
"If students are not safe in school, they will not be able to learn in school," Mr. Suvarna explains. He plans to collaborate with schools that already have proficient mental health programs to replicate these effective strategies countywide.
Transparent communication with his fellow students will be a feature of Mr. Suvarna’s term. “I want students to know that advocacy is for everyone,” he explains, “The best way to create change is to speak up.”
