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Board of Education Member · District 1 · Montgomery County · 2026 Primary
Members of the Board of Education oversee the local public school system by setting educational policies, approving the annual operating budget, and hiring the superintendent. They make key decisions on matters such as student curriculum, school boundaries, and the maintenance of school facilities. This office is important because its members determine how tax dollars are spent to support student learning and the overall quality of schools in the community.
View all candidates in this raceGrace Rivera-Oven is an incumbent member of the Montgomery County Board of Education representing District 1, seeking re-election to a second four-year term in 2026. A resident of Germantown, she was first elected in November 2022, defeating Esther Wells with nearly 60% of the vote. District 1 covers Germantown, Clarksburg, Poolesville, and other upcounty communities. She is a graduate of Gaithersburg High School whose children also attended Montgomery County Public Schools. In November 2025, the board elected her president for 2026, with Brenda Wolff serving as vice president — the vote was moved up from December due to scheduling issues. She previously served as vice president prior to becoming president. She is the founder and CEO of Upcounty Hub, a Germantown nonprofit focused on food insecurity and social services. She has received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Education Association for her re-election bid and is currently running unopposed for her District 1 seat.
Sources: Campaign website
Bethesda Magazine reported on November 20, 2025, that the Montgomery County school board elected Rivera-Oven as president and Wolff as vice president for terms beginning Dec. 1. The article notes that Rivera-Oven filed to run for re-election with the State Board of Elections following these unanimous votes. She has been chair of its special populations committee since her election in 2022.
“For me [being a board member] is about the future of this county. It’s about the fact that I came as a child, as an immigrant, and I had a wonderful country welcoming [me],” Rivera-Oven said Thursday after the vote.”
Source“I came as a child, as an immigrant, and I had a wonderful country welcoming [me],” Rivera-Oven said Thursday after the vote.”
Source