Chesapeake High student elected to school board | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

The county's high school and middle school student governments Wednesday elected the Chesapeake High junior their next SMOB, or student member of the board. The position carries full voting rights, one of only a handful in the nation with that kind of power.

Collin bested the other two candidates, Jarrett Ley of Severna Park High and Shelby Heineke of Annapolis High, to win the student seat.

"I'm very excited to get started," he said Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to working with everyone at the board."

Collin has been his class president the past four years. He will be the second student from Chesapeake High to serve on the school board since students started serving one-year terms in 1974, according to the school system.

His term will begin July 1, said Katie Brophy, supervisor of the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils, the countywide student government.

Collin ran on a platform of three main issues he wants to tackle during his term. At the top of the list is fixing the middle school class schedule, which students say has too few periods and doesn't allow enough time for electives.

"We need to talk to more middle school students and teachers to find a solution," he said. "We're going to have to sit down individually to get to the bottom of this."

The schedule change also has been championed by the current student board member, Severna Park senior

Sage Snider.

Collin said he also plans to examine school safety and look for ways to put back field trips that recently were sliced when the superintendent cut funding for substitute teachers.

Each year, the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils elects the student member, who is then officially appointed by the governor. The other eight school board members also are appointed by the governor, from a pool of candidates submitted by the 11-member School Board Nominating Commission.

Nearly 300 delegates from the county's middle and high schools turned out to vote in the election at South River High School Wednesday.

Sage said she thinks Collin will do well on the board.

"I know he really cares about this, and he's very willing to speak his mind," she said. "I think it's exciting."

Christine Nizer, an English teacher who is Collin's adviser at Chesapeake High, said Collin already has talked to his teachers and coaches about what to expect from the job.

"He really wanted this," she said. "He's put in a lot of effort. I think he'll make a big difference."