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Board of Education Member · Washington 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 racePieter Bickford is a Washington County native and candidate seeking election to the Washington County Board of Education in 2026, running for a non-consecutive third term. A graduate of North Hagerstown High School and Ithaca College, where he earned a degree in communications, Bickford spent 25 years in local journalism — serving as the 6 o'clock anchor at WHAG-TV and covering state government in Annapolis for WBAL Radio. He was first elected to the Board of Education in 2016 and served two consecutive four-year terms, during which the board became the first in Maryland to offer universal pre-K, achieved the highest starting teacher salaries in the state, secured every school building, and established more apprenticeships than any other county in Maryland. He also helped pass eight school budgets and participated in the selection of two superintendents. He is one of seven candidates in the nonpartisan race, competing alongside incumbents Linda Murray and Mike Guessford, and challengers Alina Chester, Darrell E. Evans, Ethan Loewen, and Robin A. Merchant-Spickler. The top four vote-getters in the November 3, 2026 general election will win seats on the board.
News coverage from the Herald-Mail, LocalNews1.org, and The Hancock News focused on Washington County's 2026 gubernatorial and local elections but did not provide specific details about Pieter Bickford's candidacy or record. The WCTA article from March 2024 identified him as a current Board of Education member running for re-election in that cycle, with the election being nonpartisan.
“Current Board members running for re-election are as follows: Melissa Williams (President), Stan Stouffer (Vice-President), Pieter Bickford , and April Zentmeyer”
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