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The newly elected student member to the Prince George's County school board wants students to know he will be easily accessible in his new role.

"I'm not a politician," student board member Jonathan Harris II said. "When you call my cell phone, you're not going to reach a secretary, you're going to reach me."

Harris, 17, a rising senior at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro, was elected in June by student delegates from the Prince George's Regional Association of Student Governments, which represents county high school students. The student board member serves a one-year term and is allowed to vote on all items, except the budget and personnel matters.

Harris said he plans to give out his cell phone number, reach out to students online through Facebook and encourage his peers to attend school board meetings with him.

"I was concerned when he was running," his mother, Renee Harris, said. "But I saw the passion in his face and the energy he put into it."

She said she does not mind her son giving out his cell phone number since the school system gives board members a phone for work purposes.

Jonathan Harris said a student's input is needed on the board.

"All the people making the decisions when it comes to education are adults," he said. "When children come first, that means that the student voice should be included. We need to be heard and respected."

After becoming involved in PGRAS, Harris said he started attending school board meetings and educated himself on the issues.

"I saw how the whole process worked and thought it was something I could do," he said.

Among the issues Harris hopes to target are unity among students and transportation.

Harris said he is hoping to get reduced Metro fares for students to and from school for evening activities, such as sports and clubs, when school bus transportation is not provided.

Harris also hopes to hold more countywide events next year to celebrate achievements.

"We need to be bringing all of our students together outside of things like football games and basketball tournaments," he said.

He expects his most difficult challenge to be the rotation of school board members, as all school board seats are up for re-election this year.

"I will be working with one board and then have a totally new board after December," he said, referring to the board's transition after the November general election.

However, former student board member Edward Burroughs III said the shifting of board members should allow Harris to give more input, as new school board members will be busy learning the ropes themselves.

Burroughs, who finished his second term as student board member in June, said he has been meeting regularly with Harris to teach him the proceedings and board rules.

"It's going to help him so much that he knows the rules right now and isn't figuring them out once votes are made," Burroughs said.

Time management is a major challenge for student board members, said Burroughs, who learned to balance schoolwork with lengthy board meetings and days spent lobbying in Annapolis for education reform.

"It is a concern, because I really don't know how much involvement it takes," Harris' mother said of the student member's schedule. "He's doing so well in school, and I want him to enjoy his senior year."

Harris, who has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average throughout high school, said keeping up with his schoolwork has never been a problem.

His schedule will be stacked with Advanced Placement classes this year, including statistics and economics, to help him prepare for college.

"You need to come in with a plan and execute," Burroughs said. "And he is ready to work."

E-mail Megan McKeever at mmckeever@gazette.net.