What Does the Harford County Board of Education Do?

The Board of Education plays an important role in the direction of Harford County Public Schools.

Board members make decisions involving school system policy, budgets and resources, educational priorities, facilities, accountability, and the overall direction of the school system.

Those decisions affect students, families, educators, staff, and taxpayers throughout Harford County.

That's why I believe Board members must ask hard questions, listen to the people closest to our classrooms, examine the evidence, and remain focused on a fundamental question:

What is best for students?

My Priorities for Harford County Public Schools

Strong Foundations in Reading and Math

Students need strong foundational skills to succeed throughout their education. I support a continued focus on literacy and mathematics, particularly in the early grades, with clear measures of whether our approaches are producing results.

Safe, Well-Managed Schools

Students and educators deserve schools where they feel safe, supported, and able to focus on learning. Effective policies should be practical, consistently implemented, and evaluated based on results.

Accountability and Measurable Results

Good intentions aren't enough. When HCPS invests time and taxpayer dollars in a program or initiative, we should be able to answer:

What problem are we solving? How will we measure success? Is this the best use of our resources?

Empowering Parents and Supporting Educators

Parents should have clear information, meaningful opportunities to be heard, and a genuine role as partners in their children's education.

Teachers and school staff deserve professional respect, strong leadership, appropriate resources, and meaningful input into decisions affecting their classrooms.

Responsible Stewardship

Strong schools require adequate resources and taxpayers deserve confidence that those resources are being used effectively.

My professional background in finance and operations has taught me that responsible leadership requires both: advocating for the resources an organization needs while demanding transparency, accountability, and measurable results from the resources it receives.

[Read All of My Priorities]

Building District D

I'm visiting the schools and communities throughout District D because representing a district starts with understanding it.

Our schools may have different mascots, traditions, histories, challenges, and strengths, but they are connected by something much bigger: the students and families who call this community home.

Every School. Every Student. One District. Building District D, Together.

Communities in District D

Harford County Board of Education District D serves communities across northern Harford County, including the areas served by schools in Darlington, Dublin, Forest Hill, Hickory, Jarrettsville, North Bend, Norrisville, and North Harford.

2026 Harford County Board of Education Election

Rachelle Johnson is a candidate for the Harford County Board of Education, Councilmanic District D, in the 2026 election.

The Board of Education race is nonpartisan.

For official information about candidates, voter registration, polling locations, early voting, and the 2026 election, voters should consult the Maryland State Board of Elections and Harford County Board of Elections.

Get to Know Rachelle Johnson

I'm a Harford County parent, Chief Financial Officer, and advocate for strong public schools and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.

I'm running because I believe strong public schools require leadership willing to listen, ask questions, work collaboratively, and keep students at the center of every decision.

[About Rachelle] [Why I'm Running] [My Priorities]

Every School.

Every Student.

One District.

Let's Build a Stronger

District D Together.

[Get Involved] [Contact Rachelle]