Charles County SMOB candidates stress communication, mental health and restorative justice

Brendan Wren, president of the Charles County Association's student council, moderated a town hall featuring the two candidates for the Charles County Public Schools student member of the board: Abhijit Mond of Northpointe High School and Lunachi Abanalla of La Plata High School.

Both candidates said improving communication between the Board of Education and students is a top priority. "1 of my biggest priorities in this position is communication," Abhijit said, describing plans to collect student feedback through forms and to introduce open-mic events where students can submit questions without speaking in front of a large audience. Lunachi said she has used social media and a Google doc for feedback and would launch an initiative called "Unmuted," with monthly meetings and distribution through the district system to reach students who lack home technology.

The candidates framed their communication proposals as ways to increase awareness of existing CCPS resources. Abhijit cited Hazel Health, free tutoring and an Apex Learning SAT program that was "brought back" recently, and argued many students "aren't aware" those offerings exist. Lunachi said school-based outreach and regular, countywide contact would help middle- and high-school students know how to use available supports.

Mental health and counseling confidentiality were prominent topics. Lunachi urged greater confidentiality in counselor meetings so students will seek help without fear of immediate escalation: "A lot of students are scared to talk to their counselor ... they are afraid that what they say is not going to be confidential." Abhijit said he wants to reduce stigma around counseling and make health classes and counseling feel more directly relevant to students' lives.

On discipline and school climate the candidates both favored prevention and restorative approaches over expanded policing. Abhijit said the district should focus on early recognition and intervention rather than defaulting to suspension: "We need to start focusing on recognizing these early on instead of jumping straight to suspension." Lunachi described a preference for restorative justice programs that help students understand harm and, where appropriate and with consent, participate in apologies and reconciliation.

Safety measures raised by the candidates included building security and staffing. Lunachi highlighted locked doors as a straightforward safety improvement and said she opposed "over policing" in schools, arguing it often causes harm. Abhijit likewise said he is "not a strong believer that over policing is the correct option in schools," and emphasized identifying students who need help before incidents escalate.

Both candidates described plans to use staff and volunteers as part of outreach. Abhijit proposed appointing at least one representative from each middle and high school to advise on policy and share local perspectives. Lunachi said she would use school-level networks and peer connections as primary resources.

The candidates also addressed extracurricular access and student morale, noting costs as a barrier. Lunachi suggested reducing participation costs to boost involvement; Abhijit emphasized mental-health supports and counseling to address burnout and improve morale.

Both candidates described specific steps to include younger students. Abhijit advocated for a larger middle-school advisory council so younger students feel heard; Lunachi said "Unmuted" would provide a direct channel for middle-school ideas.

The town hall ran through a series of moderator questions and answers; no formal Board action or vote took place during the event. The candidates repeated that their priorities center on communication, student mental-health confidentiality, restorative discipline and practical safety measures such as locked doors.

Looking ahead, both candidates said they would use countywide outreach and school-based representatives to gather student input and would push the Board to make information about counseling, tutoring and SAT resources more visible to students.