Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced the members of a new committee tasked with developing a report on safety and mental health in schools.
The Reimagining School Safety and Students’ Well-Being Steering Committee will develop an improvement plan with timelines, financial implications and needs for the program, as well as a communication plan to support implementation.
The committee will provide a preliminary report and recommendations by June 15. A final report will be due by Sept. 30.
“This initiative will help us rethink and reshape our public safety in our schools and provide the best social and mental health support for our students,” Elrich said in a press release on Wednesday.
Elrich already announced plans to remove school resource officers from the schools and replace them with a “community model” in which police officers would instead patrol larger geographic areas around schools.
The 32 members are:
● JoAnn Barnes (co-chair): chief of Children, Youth and Family Services for the county’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
● Willie Parker-Loan (co-chair): assistant chief for the Montgomery County Police Department
● Ruschelle Reuben (co-chair): associate superintendent of the Office of Student/Family Support and Engagement for Montgomery County Public Schools
● Josean Acevedo-Soto: security support staff member for MCPS
● Kirsten Andersen: administrator of Linkages to Learning for DHHS
● Elaine Bonner-Tompkins: senior legislative analyst for the Office of Legislative Oversight
● Elise Burgess: principal of Sally Ride Elementary School
● Luis Cardona: administrator of Positive Youth Development for DHHS
● Norman Coleman: principal of Francis Scott Key Middle School
● Stacey Flynn: captain for MCPD
● Anita Garcia: social worker for the Office of Student/Family Support and Engagement for MCPS
● Tocarah Hargrove: sergeant for MCPD
● Dan Helton: lieutenant for MCPD
● Lauren Hurly: teacher for John F. Kennedy High School
● Luis Hurtado: security support staff member for MCPS
● Dustin Jeter: teacher for Springbrook High School
● N’Djetchi “Juslin” Kacou: student at Argyle Middle School
● James Koutsos: area associate superintendent of the Office of Teaching, Learning and Schools
● Deborah Lambert: senior fiscal and policy analyst for the Office of Management and Budget
● Asashia Martin: instructional specialist of the Office of Student/Family Support and Engagement for MCPS
● Monica Martin: administrator of Child/Adolescent School and Community-Based Services of DHHS
● Regina Morales: deputy chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for DHHS
● Kiera Norris: student at Northwood High School
● BB Otero: special assistant to the county executive
● Nicole Rodriguez-Hernandez: legislative analyst for the County Council
● Rolando Santiago: chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for DHHS
● Neha Singhal: teacher for John F. Kennedy High School
● Sydney Smith: student at Clarksburg High School
● Caroline Sturgis: assistant chief administrative officer for the county executive’s office
● Elizabeth Thomas: principal of Quince Orchard High School
● Lori-Christina Webb: chief of staff for the Montgomery County Board of Education
● David Wilson: security support staff member for MCPS
Staff writer Caitlynn Peetz contributed to this report.
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media.
