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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="3-801" title_number="3" title_name="Establishment of County Boards of Education" subtitle_number="8" subtitle_name="Kent County">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Kent County Board consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Five voting members; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>One nonvoting student member.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A candidate elected to the county board shall be a resident and registered voter of Kent County.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any member who no longer resides in Kent County may not continue as a member of the board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The incumbent voting members of the Kent County Board who hold office on July 1, 2010, shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualify.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Voting members of the Kent County Board shall be elected from Kent County at large as follows:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Two voting members of the county board shall be elected in the November general election of 2012 and every 4 years thereafter; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Three voting members of the county board shall be elected in the November general election of 2014 and every 4 years thereafter.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The student member shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Be a bona fide resident of Kent County;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Be a regularly enrolled junior or senior at the Kent County public high school elected by the high school students of the county in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Be a member of student government;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Serve for 1 year beginning on July 1 after the election of the student member; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Advise the county board on the thoughts and feelings of students in the Kent County public schools.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The process for applying and electing a student as a student member shall be as set forth in this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>An eligible student shall submit an application to the county board on a form provided by the county board beginning on January 1 of each year.</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Each applicant shall deliver a speech to the student body of Kent County High School.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>Any high school student in the county may vote directly for the student member candidates in an election held before May 1 each year.</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The student member candidate that receives the highest number of votes shall become the student member.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Notice of the results of the election for student member shall be reported to the County Superintendent on or before May 1 each year.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the student member is unable, ineligible, or disqualified to complete the student member’s term of the office, the county board shall appoint a qualified student to serve for the remainder of the term.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The student member shall attend:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Maryland Association of Boards of Education new student board member orientation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>All regular meetings of the county board.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The student member may not attend an executive session of the county board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Each voting member serves for a term of 4 years beginning on January 1 after his election and until a successor is elected and qualifies.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The terms of members are staggered and elections shall be held as provided in subsection (c) of this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any vacancy on the county board of a voting member shall be filled by a qualified individual appointed by the County Commissioners of Kent County to serve until a successor is elected and qualifies at the general election next following the creation of the vacancy and for which the deadline for the filing of candidates has not expired.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>An individual may serve for more than 2 consecutive terms.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Board may remove a member of the county board for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Immorality;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Misconduct in office;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Incompetency; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Willful neglect of duty.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Before removing a member, the State Board shall send the member a copy of the charges against him and give him an opportunity within 10 days to request a hearing.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the member requests a hearing within the 10–day period:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The State Board promptly shall hold a hearing, but a hearing may not be set within 10 days after the State Board sends the member a notice of the hearing; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The member shall have an opportunity to be heard publicly before the State Board in his own defense, in person or by counsel.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A member removed under this subsection has the right to a de novo review of the removal by the Circuit Court for Kent County.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
