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



Marc Schifanelli
Board President
District 4
2020 – 2024
[email protected]
Helen Bennett
Board Vice President
District 3
2020 – 2024
[email protected]
Shannon Bent
Board Member
District 1
2022 – 2026
[email protected]


Richard Smith
Board Member
District 2
2022 – 2024
[email protected]
Alexis Capes
Member at Large
2022 – 2026 [email protected]
2023-2024 Student Board Members:
KIHS – Cody Sandefer
QACHS – Ney Fen Swirri Forti
Superintendent & Leadership

Dr. Patricia Saelens
Superintendent
[email protected]

Dr. Marcia Sprankle
Asst. Superintendent
[email protected]

Sid Pinder, Jr.
Chief Operating Officer
[email protected]

Dr. Matthew Kibler
Director of Accountability & Implementation,
Interim Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]
Board Meetings
NOTICE: THE SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION ON NOVEMBER 15TH, 2023 HAS BEEN CANCELED
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 ([email protected]) 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 [email protected]. 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.
- 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
Recap Newsletter of Past Board Meetings
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
BoardDocs
QACPS posts all Board meeting agendas, supplementary documents, and meeting minutes on BoardDocs.
Appeals Guide
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.
Ethics & Policy Panel
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: [email protected] | 410-758-2403 ext. 126
Four Year Policy Calendar Review
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
QACPS Financial Disclosure Short Form
QACPS Financial Disclosure Long Form
Citizen Advisory Committees
Education Article §4–112 requires that each county board establish at least one citizen advisory committee. The Queen Anne’s County Board of Education believes that the school system is strengthened when community members are actively engaged. Citizen advisory committees are an effective means for the board to be advised on matters including but not limited to: policy review, school calendar, system data review, budget, strategic plan review, and the review of the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future in Queen Anne’s County.
QACPS has both a Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) and a School System Improvement Committee (SSIC) that it operates under the Citizens Advisory Committees Policy and accompanying Regulation. The CAC is made up of one parent or guardian from each school, five board appointed community members, a board member, and the superintendent’s designee who facilitates the meetings. The SSIC is made up of one teacher representative from each school, three administrators, a board member, and the superintendent’s designee. The committees each meet six times per year.
Meeting Dates for the 2023-2024 School Year:
September 27th – Agenda and Minutes
October 24th – Agenda and Minutes
November 29th – Agenda and Minutes
January 31st
February 27th
April 17th
All SSIC meetings begin at 4:15 pm and the CAC meetings begin at 6:30 pm
Please reach out to Dr. Matthew Kibler, [email protected], if you have additional questions about the Citizen Advisory Committees.
The Special Education Department also has a Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee. More information on that committee can be found on the Special Education webpage.
Budget Calendar
The budget cycle for QACPS takes place over several months. Budget meetings are open to the public. Additional information is available in BoardDocs.