Walt Whitman High School junior Arvin Kim will be the next student member of the Montgomery County Board of Education.
Kim received about 59% of the 56,000 votes cast in Wednesday’s election, beating Albert Einstein High School junior Baba Cisse for the position. Kim will take over the position on July 1 and replace Richard Montgomery High School senior Hana O’Looney.
All middle and high school students are eligible to vote for the student board member.
Kim is a member of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.
His campaign website says he has a “180+ point plan for MCPS” that touches on topics such as improving school safety, mental health resources, equity, curriculum and student participation in decision making.
“This is a movement to uplift, empower, and fight for the student voice,” his website says.
Kim is the chief of staff for the countywide student government association and was formerly vice president of the Montgomery County Junior Council Student Government Association.
Kim was a founding member of MoCo Pride Youth and previously was involved in the Maryland Association of Student Councils, Asian American Progressive Student Union and MoCo Students for Change.
The last time a student from Whitman was elected to the school board was in 1996, when Rachel Prager was elected, according to MCPS records.
Student members of the Montgomery County school board have full voting rights, except on negative personnel actions. They receive a $5,000 college scholarship, student service learning hours and one honors level social studies credit.