With less than three weeks until the Nov. 5 general election, voters still have two opportunities to hear from Montgomery County Board of Education candidates at scheduled forums in Silver Spring and Bethesda.
Six people are running in the nonpartisan race for three open board seats. Incumbent Lynne Harris and Rita Montoya are competing for an open at-large seat, incumbent Shebra Evans and Laura Stewart are vying for a District 4 seat and candidates Brenda Diaz and Natalie Zimmerman are competing for a District 2 seat.
On Thursday, all six candidates are expected to participate in a forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Leisure World of Maryland’s Clubhouse I Crytal Ballroom located at 3701 Rossmoor Blvd. in Silver Spring. The forum is sponsored by the Democratic and Republican Clubs of Leisure World and Lou Peck, MoCo360 and Bethesda Magazine contributing editor, will moderate.
Additionally, on Monday, the Luxmanor Citizens Association will join the Walter Johnson High School PTSA and the Greater Farmland Civic Association to host a forum from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the school’s auditorium at 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda.
Several groups have held school board election forums since the May primary. The discussions have covered issues ranging from curriculum opt-outs and district spending to the public’s perception of the county’s public schools and safety.
Many of the school board forums held in recent weeks were recorded and are available online, including those hosted by the Silver Spring United Methodist Church, the Montgomery County League of Women Voters, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the Montgomery County Taxpayers League.
Eight days of early voting will be held from Oct. 24 to 31. Check here for a list of early voting sites. For more information about the candidates, check out the MoCo360 2024 Voters Guide.
