The BCPS Board of Education announced on Thursday night that Board Chair Kathleen Causey and Vice Chair Julie Henn will return back to their leadership positions. This was announced after there were multiple media reports that the Board was divided and could not get enough votes to elect a President and Vice President, thus Causey and Henn remain in their positions.
The Board originally met on Tuesday night and could not come to agreeable on the selection of a President and Vice President and the vote was pushed back to Thursday night with still no outcome.
No candidate for either office received the required majority of votes to be elected at the Board’s Dec. 5 meeting.
Under Maryland common law, if a chair or vice chair is not elected, the incumbent officer continues to hold the position. They are considered de facto (or hold over) office holders and remain only until such time as successors are duly elected, according to Board counsel Andrew Nussbaum.
Causey represents the 3rd District and is a Monkton resident. Henn is a member of the 5th District and a resident of Perry Hall.
The current school board was the first hybrid school board to be elected in 2018 by the seven Councilmanic districts in Baltimore County. The BCPS Board also consists of four at-large members, but is one member down with the passing of Roger Hayden in October. That vacancy will be filled next year.