Charles County student-member-of-the-board candidates emphasize communication, mental-health access and alternatives to suspension at town hall

Brendan Ring, president of the Charles County Associations of Student Council, hosted a student town hall where two candidates for the Charles County Public Schools student member of the board laid out competing priorities and proposals to improve communication, mental-health access and school discipline.

Abhijit Mond, a candidate from Northpointe High School, said a top priority is fixing a “lack of communication to students” about existing resources. “We spend so much money, so much time on all these resources from the Hazel Health to the Apex Learning free tutoring SAT,” Mond said, adding that many students do not know those resources exist. He proposed a “small monthly minute” — modeled on practices in neighboring counties — to deliver board updates directly to classrooms and to reconstitute the advisory council with broader school representation.

Lunachi Abanala, a candidate from La Plata High School, described a suite of outreach tools aimed at students without reliable home internet and proposed a monthly program called “Unmuted” to gather input countywide. “I know not…