Grace Rivera-Oven
MD · President and District 1 Member, Montgomery County Board of Education
Grace Rivera-Oven is president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, representing District 1 since 2022, and founded the Upcounty Hub, a Germantown food and social services nonprofit. Her priorities are drawing families into school decisions and supporting students with the greatest needs.
Where Grace Rivera-Oven stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Education Quality (5 records)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 3 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 3 oppose
Voted with a 7-1 board majority to adopt a $3.72 billion school budget for fiscal year 2027 that cut 415 positions to close a $36 million gap.
June 4, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Told the County Council that the school system's budget request was not a wish list but the minimum investment needed.
May 5, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Praised County Executive Marc Elrich's budget plan, which called for a 6% property tax rate increase to fully fund the school system, saying it showed true partnership.
March 13, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Called at a January 2026 budget hearing for restoring 10 pupil personnel worker jobs and family engagement specialists cut from the proposed school budget. The board's tentative budget restored nine of the 10 and two family engagement jobs.
January 19, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 5 support
Told the County Council that the school system's budget request was not a wish list but the minimum investment needed.
May 5, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Won board approval of her amendment requiring the superintendent to give the board regular updates on the new regional high school programs, including budget effects, challenges, and measures of success.
March 26, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Voted with a 7-1 board majority to approve new high school attendance zones that move Wootton High School into the new Crown High building in Gaithersburg, and to adopt a regional high school program model.
March 26, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Praised County Executive Marc Elrich's budget plan, which called for a 6% property tax rate increase to fully fund the school system, saying it showed true partnership.
March 13, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Called at a January 2026 budget hearing for restoring 10 pupil personnel worker jobs and family engagement specialists cut from the proposed school budget. The board's tentative budget restored nine of the 10 and two family engagement jobs.
January 19, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Track record — General
General · 11 records
Voted with a unanimous board to raise school meal prices by 30 cents for the 2026-27 school year, after saying in April she could not support a larger three-year increase.
May 21, 2026
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Endorsed the slate of four sitting Montgomery County Circuit Court judges running in 2026.
May 21, 2026
Source: electsittingjudgesmcs.com
Voted against closing the county's only charter school, MECCA Business Learning Institute, citing due process and favoring a remediation plan. The board approved the closure 6-2.
April 30, 2026
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Received the Montgomery County Education Association teachers union endorsement for her 2026 re-election to the District 1 school board seat.
December 5, 2025
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Was elected president of the Montgomery County Board of Education in a unanimous board vote, for a one-year term starting December 1, 2025.
November 20, 2025
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Was elected vice president of the Montgomery County Board of Education and named chair of its Special Populations Committee.
December 5, 2024
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Abstained when the school board voted 7-0 to approve a $1.3 million school boundary study contract. She had raised concerns that eastern county communities were left out and that a key subcontractor did not appear before the board.
December 5, 2024
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Cast the only school board vote against appointing a new principal at Kennedy High School. She said she objected because the district did not prioritize hiring a Hispanic principal for the school's student body.
June 6, 2023
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Received endorsements from the Montgomery County Education Association teachers union and SEIU Local 500 in her 2022 school board race.
June 20, 2022
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Organized a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 at the county's only mobile home park through the Upcounty Hub, the Germantown food and aid nonprofit she founded and directs.
November 6, 2021
Source: bethesdamagazine.com
Resigned as a substitute member of the Montgomery County Board of Elections. Fellow members credited her work on voter rights, disability access at the polls, and the board's translations.
July 17, 2017
Source: mcg.montgomerycountymd.gov
Past race Grace Rivera-Oven ran in:
- Montgomery County Board of Education Member, District 1 · November 3, 2026 · Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland · incumbent