School board

Board of Education Member, Howard County

Vote for: 2
Candidates: 3
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A board of education member helps set policy, approve the budget and hire the superintendent of the county's public schools.

Candidates Compare by issue

Mark E. Covington

No party listed

The gist

Supports public reporting of student discipline outcomes
Opposes funding Blueprint mandates by cutting current programs
Supports redistricting only for clear educational or operational needs
Supports educators leading library and classroom materials selection
Supports need-based school maintenance decisions

More about Mark

View sources (1)

Supports public reporting of student discipline outcomes
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The Board should require public reporting on discipline outcomes.”
Opposes funding Blueprint mandates by cutting current programs
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Blueprint requirements-including universal Pre-K-must be added to existing budgets, not funded by cutting current programs.”
Supports redistricting only for clear educational or operational needs
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Redistricting should only occur for clear educational or operational needs—and always with data, transparency and genuine community engagement.”
Supports educators leading library and classroom materials selection
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Educators and media specialists-trained in child development and curriculum-should lead materials selection.”
Supports need-based school maintenance decisions
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Howard County’s facility assessments should guide decisions based on need, not politics.”

Linda Frascarella

No party listed

The gist

Supports reviewing suspension data by teacher
Supports prioritizing community stability in redistricting
Supports the Governor's proposed Blueprint funding increase
Supports expanding the Community Schools program
Supports finishing capital-project prep work in advance

More about Linda

View sources (1)

Supports reviewing suspension data by teacher
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The BOE looks at suspension data by student and has already requested looking at the data by teacher.”
Supports prioritizing community stability in redistricting
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I believe that maintaining Community Stability is the most important factor of those currently outlined in the policy.”
Supports the Governor's proposed Blueprint funding increase
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we push for the passage of the Governor's proposed increase in Blueprint funding.”
Supports expanding the Community Schools program
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The Community Schools program is amazing and should be expanded.”
Supports finishing capital-project prep work in advance
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“HCPSS must be ready for quick implementation if PayGo funds become available.”

Lanlan Xu

No party listed

Community leader and education advocate

The gist

Supports regular public reporting of discipline data
Supports mixed-delivery pre-K with private providers
Opposes cutting core instruction or special education
Supports weighing socioeconomic balance in redistricting
Supports expanded preventive maintenance of school buildings

More about Lanlan

View sources (1)

Supports regular public reporting of discipline data
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“HCPSS should regularly report discipline and school climate data and conduct school-level reviews when disparities appear”
Supports mixed-delivery pre-K with private providers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“For universal Pre-K, I support a mixed-delivery model using both public schools and qualified private providers”
Opposes cutting core instruction or special education
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“they should come from operational efficiencies and phased implementation, not from core instruction or essential supports like special education or student mental health.”
Supports weighing socioeconomic balance in redistricting
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“It can also be a factor when nearby schools have very different socioeconomic compositions.”
Supports expanded preventive maintenance of school buildings
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Board of Education At-Large
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Strong lifecycle planning for systems like HVAC and roofs, early action on deferred maintenance, and expanded preventive maintenance can reduce long-term costs”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 4 issues covered in this race.