Board of Education

Welcome to the Queen Anne’s County Board of Education!

Board of Education Handbook

The members of the Board of Education of Queen Anne’s County are publicly elected. Policies set by the Board are administered by the Superintendent of Schools, who serves as the Executive Officer of the Board. Board Members attend all public sessions of the Board. Special sessions are held as needed.

To contact a board member, please write to:

Queen Anne’s County Board of Education 

202 Chesterfield Avenue

Centreville, Maryland 21617

Email addresses for each Board Member are also provided below.

Richard Smith
Board President
District 2
2022 – 2024
richard.smith@qacps.org

Tamera Harper
Board Vice President
Member at Large
2018 – 2022
tamera.harper@qacps.org

Shannon Bent
Board Member
District 1
Seat Term: 2018 – 2022
Ms. Bent: 2021 – 2022
shannon.bent@qacps.org

Helen Bennett
Board Member
District 3
2020 – 2024
helen.bennett@qacps.org

Marc Schifanelli
Board Member
District 4
2020 – 2024
marc.schifanelli@qacps.org

2022-2023 Student Board Members:
KIHS – Mehki Johnson
QACHS – Samuel “Austin” Tuel

Dr. Patricia Saelens
Superintendent
patricia.saelens@qacps.org

Dr. Marcia Sprankle
Asst. Superintendent
marcia.sprankle@qacps.org

Sid Pinder, Jr.
Chief Operating Officer
sid.pinder@qacps.org

Jane Towers
Chief Financial Officer
jane.towers@qacps.org

Dr. Michael Noel
Director of Human Resources
michael.noel@qacps.org

Dr. Matthew Kibler
Director of Accountability & Implementation
matthew.kibler@qacps.org

The School Board Agenda is created by the Superintendent and approved by the Board President. Individuals may request a specific topic be added to the formal agenda. Requests should be made to the Superintendent of Schools (patricia.saelens@qacps.org) at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.

Meeting Schedule

Citizens may attend meetings in person or view a live stream. Live streams are available on the QACTV Facebook page, qac.org/live, and ABB Cable Channel 7. Recordings of past meetings are also available on the QACPS YouTube channel.

• Closed Sessions start at 4:00 or 4:30 p.m.
• Board of Education Meetings (1st Wednesday of each month) start at 6:00 PM
• Work Sessions (3rd Wednesday of each month) start at 5:00 PM
• All dates and times are subject to change; please check the website or call Kari Denis at 410-758-2403 ext. 126 to confirm.
• Meetings take place at the QACPS Board of Education Building (202 Chesterfield Ave., Centreville, MD 21617)

Citizen Participation

Queen Anne’s County citizens are encouraged to attend Board meetings and may address the Board at the beginning of each meeting during the “Open Forum.”

If you are unable to attend the monthly board meeting in person, please submit your statement to communitycomments@qacps.org. Please keep in mind all comments must be under three minutes in length and follow the guidelines established by the QAC BOE.

Guidelines for speaking during regular monthly Board meetings:

• Speakers should sign the roster including their telephone number and address.
• Comments should be limited to three minutes in length.  Comments longer than three minutes should be submitted in writing.
• Questions or statements to the Board should relate to a matter of general policy over which the Board has authority.
• Comments about actions or statements of individual staff members are not appropriate for Public Comment and should be referred to the Superintendent of Schools or Board President.

If you have a specific question, the Board will make sure an appropriate staff member responds to your question. The Board respects your desire and right to convey your message freely but asks as a courtesy to this Board and our citizens to show respect for all.

Monthly Meeting Newsletter

BoardDocs

QACPS posts all Board meeting agendas, supplementary documents, and meeting minutes on BoardDocs. 

The purpose of the Appeals Guide is to provide the rules of procedure for all appeals to the Board of Education of Queen Anne’s County. 

The Queen Anne’s County Board of Education has adopted regulations for the purpose of defining and prohibiting certain conflicts; defining gifts and requiring financial disclosure; regulating and requiring reporting of certain lobbying activities, and creating a Queen Anne’s County School System Ethics Panel.

Contact the Ethics Panel

Queen Anne’s County Board of Education
c/o Kari Denis, Executive Secretary
202 Chesterfield Avenue
Centreville, MD 21617
Contact: kari.denis@qacps.org | 410-758-2403 ext. 126

Ethics Panel Members

L.C. Lawrence – Terms Expires June 30, 2023

Natalie Veeney – Term Expires June 30, 2024

Nicholas Deoudes – Term Expires June 30, 2025

Ethics Policy

QACPS Financial Disclosure Short Form

QACPS Financial Disclosure Long Form

The budget cycle for QACPS takes place over several months. Budget meetings are open to the public. Additional information is available in BoardDocs.

FY 2022 – 2023 Budget Calendar