Anuva Maloo / Photo courtesy MCPS
Anuva Maloo, a rising senior at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, was sworn-in as the County’s new Student Member of the Board (SMOB) of Education on Tuesday.
“Too often, the students who need to be heard the most are the ones that are drowned out,” Maloo said during the ceremony at the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) building in Rockville. “So here is my final promise to you all. As Montgomery County’s 48th Student Member of the Board, I will work my hardest, bring your voice to the table, and start a new change in MCPS.”
“I know so many students who work just as hard or harder than I did, and yet today some of them don’t even attend school anymore,” Maloo said. “Not because they’re lazy, but because they’re working multiple jobs, helping their families, or simply trying to survive right now. That should never happen, and especially not in one of the greatest counties in Maryland.”
Maloo was elected in April, receiving 62% of the vote in the student election.
Outgoing SMOB Praneel Suvarna, who just recently graduated from Clarksburg High School, thanked students “for trusting me to represent you.” When he began his term last year, Suvarna said school safety, the opioid crisis, and mental health were his priorities, as well as restoring trust. His work over the past year included an initiative to train security staff and administrative assistants in Narcan use.
“It’s an honor that I’ll carry for the rest of my life,” Suvarna said. “I know our next student member, Anuva, is going to do a phenomenal job and I’m excited to see all that she accomplished.”
Every year, middle and high school students elect a SMOB, who is a voting member of the school board for a one-year term. The student member can vote on collective bargaining, budgets, school closings, reopenings and boundaries. But they cannot vote on negative personnel actions, according to MCPS. The student member is not paid, but does receive a $25,000 college scholarship.
“The role of the student member is vital… to the board’s ability to hear, understand, and meet the needs of our students,” said School Board President Julie Yang.
“I can’t wait to see the leadership that you bring to the table,” Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor told Maloo. He thanked Suvarna “for being an outstanding Student Member of the Board.”
