Sydney Mosley sworn in as Prince George’s schools student board member

Sydney Mosley was sworn in June 26 as the 46th student member of the Prince George’s County Board of Education, taking a seat meant to bring student views directly into one of the county’s most influential school decision-making bodies.

The board is made up of nine elected members, four appointed members and one student member. Under Prince George’s County Public Schools policy, that student seat is elected by county public school students in grades 6 through 12 and serves a one-year term. The district’s policy gives the student member advisory rights to bring student perspectives into policymaking, but it bars the student from voting on budget or personnel issues.

That limitation matters because the student member still sits inside the room where major district choices are made. Prince George’s County schools policy says the student member is intended to provide direct input on what students think and feel, making the role more than ceremonial even without full voting authority. Maryland’s SB 386 also standardized student board member voting rights across local boards, allowing votes on most matters while carving out exceptions for personnel discipline, certain hearings and some appeals.

The seat Mosley entered had been held by Erioluwa Ajakaye, who was listed by PGCPS in June 2026 as the student member of the board. That continuity shows the role is built into the district’s governance structure, not created for a single student or a single school year.

PGCPS policy 8261 also spells out how the job is supported and filled. For the general election, the district provides $500 in campaign funds and says it will educate secondary students in grades 6 through 12 on the voting process. The policy says the student member is committed to participating in public-sector policymaking and receives local mileage-based reimbursement. It also says the Prince George’s Regional Association of Student Governments may establish procedures and protocols to fill a student-member vacancy, subject to board approval.

For Mosley, the oath put a Prince George’s County student inside a formal leadership seat with limited but real leverage over district governance. The post gives students a direct voice in board deliberations at a time when decisions on spending and staffing continue to define how PGCPS serves its schools.