The Montgomery County school board officially welcomed three new members after Natalie Zimmerman (Dist. 2), Laura Stewart (Dist. 4) and Rita Montoya (At-Large) were sworn in Monday afternoon at the school board headquarters at 15 W. Gude Drive.
“Now it’s time to get to work,” Montoya said after the board’s swearing-in ceremony. “I’m eager to join my board of education colleagues, [Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)] and the community in a collective effort to put our kids first.”
Zimmerman, Stewart and Montoya took home the most votes in the Nov. 5 general election, beating out Brenda Diaz (Dist. 2) and incumbents Shebra Evans (Dist. 4) and Lynne Harris (At-Large). Another incumbent, Rebecca Smondrowski, lost her effort to keep her District 2 seat in the May primary. Members serve four-year terms.
The election amounted to a reckoning for the eight-member board, highlighting the power and influence of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the local teachers union that endorsed the winning candidates.
Stewart, a full-time volunteer and former Montgomery County Council of PTAs leader, highlighted this in her comments Monday night, sharing how she has worked with the MCEA over the last several years advocating for state legislation in Annapolis.
“So when they decided to endorse my candidacy, I knew we’d be great working partners and I know we will continue that now that I’m a board member,” Stewart said.
Zimmerman noted that after she was elected, she resigned her job as a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teacher as required by the board’s ethics policy, which states that a member can’t be an MCPS employee.
“I am already missing the chaos of morning breakfast, the quiet hum of independent math work and the gentleness of a shared read aloud,” Zimmerman said. “I love being a teacher, and the only thing that could rip me from my classroom is the chance to make it better for all educators and students.”
Stewart and Zimmerman acknowledged that MCPS faced challenges but said they would work with others to make the district better.
Stewart told MoCo360 that her first priority as a board member is ensuring that data and other information are available for families to access. Zimmerman told MoCo360 her priority is becoming well-educated on Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and a proposed school boundary study so she can make decisions at her first school board meeting on Thursday. Montoya, an attorney, declined to comment.
Outgoing members honored
The swearing-in ceremony also honored the outgoing board members: Evans, who served on the board for eight years; Harris, who served on the board for four; and Smondrowski, who is leaving after 12 years. The three outgoing members tearfully thanked friends, family members and supporters for their encouragement over the last several years.
“As I step down after 12 years serving on the board of education, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride,” Smondrowski said. “It truly has been an honor and a privilege to contribute to the education and well-being of our students, families and community.”
After Evans’ comments in which she shared that she never imagined that she would be an elected official, many attendees in the crowd of roughly 100 stood up and sang “Lift Every Voice” by James Weldon Johnson, often referred to as the Black National Anthem. Evans accepted a bouquet of flowers from an attendee and stood while the group sang.
Harris noted the district and board had made many changes during her tenure, including making the school system more welcoming for everyone.
Board member Brenda Wolff (Dist. 5) said each of the outgoing members had a “heart of gold,” and encouraged the incoming board members to reach out and make connections with community groups and to not make assumptions about their perspectives.
Upcoming decisions
Some of the items on Thursday’s board meeting agenda are significant, including approving a contract for a consultant to conduct a boundary review that will impact 19 of the 25 MCPS high schools and receiving an overview of Taylor’s budget proposal.
The board is expected to hold officer elections during the 9 a.m. session, choosing a president and vice president. Karla Silvestre (At-Large) is the current president while Harris is the vice president.
According to the meeting agenda, members also will be appointed at about 6 p.m. to board committees, including those for special populations, communication and stakeholder engagement, fiscal management, policy management and strategic planning.
