Though all eyes were locked on the presidential race earlier this month, a slew of local elections promise to have an equally large impact, especially on high school students.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, the city of Virginia Beach elected five new individuals to its school board. While this may seem to pale in comparison to the victories of President-elect Donald Trump, Sen. Tim Kaine or Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, it’s clear that many fail to acknowledge the importance of these local officeholders.
In fact, once they’re sworn in, new members will immediately make their mark on day-to-day student life, according to Ocean Lakes administration.
“They govern and inform policy, as well as oversee the curriculum in order to help us teach, according to [Virginia Department of Education] regulations,” Math and Science Academy coordinator Michael King said. “We get information to (and from) the school board through our senior staff, AKA ‘downtown,’ the superintendent, or any committees that have been formed to communicate with the school board.”
With how underappreciated these civil servants are, it’s crucial that high school communities are made aware of the policies and stances of their new school board.
With that being said, here are the platforms of each of the five recently elected members:
Rose Dwyer, District 1
Former PTA president and mother of five, Rose Dwyer narrowly emerged victorious in her election, winning with just 51.7% of the vote.
On top of having previous experience on school boards, Dwyer remains eager to serve the Kempsville and Providence areas of Virginia Beach through servant leadership, according to her campaign website.
Despite not being listed on the ballot as such, Dwyer ran as a Republican. However, she is committed to hearing about the issues which are most pressing to her constituents. Overall, her mission is to put students and families first in the education process.
Dwyer declined to provide comments for the article.
Mark Bohenstiel, District 3
Despite running unopposed in his race, the community has shown strong support for school board electee Mark Bohenstiel.
Bohenstiel’s experience is extremely broad, spanning little league coaching to church and ministry work, as well as serving on a Virginia Beach advisory board for the area’s beaches and waterways, all in his over 30 years as a resident of the city.
Among his top priorities are ensuring the safety of all VBCPS schools, especially in lieu of some recent events, like the incident at Princess Anne High School. Furthermore, Bohenstiel believes parents should be firmly involved in the education of their children, all in an effort to cut down on educational inequality and ensure that all VBCPS graduates are prepared for their future. Bohenstiel declined to provide comments for the article.
Alveta Green, District 4
Dr. Alveta Green had to compete with two other strong candidates in her race on Nov. 5. Green took home just 48.7% of the vote, but still won by nearly 10 percentage points.
After working extensively with the Virginia Department of Education, Green was a member of VBCPS for 17 years and hopes that his experience will translate to an inclusive school environment for Virginia Beach students.
Green is firmly against the politicization of her position and fears it will continue to negatively impact marginalized groups. In conjunction with this, one of her central priorities is attacking the book ban that VBCPS currently has in place, according to her candidate profile on Wavy 10’s website.
Green declined to provide comments for the article.
Melinda Rogers, District 5
Melinda Rogers ran on one major ideal: prioritizing education over politics. In a rather close race in District 5, Rogers defeated Vincent Smith.
“In an era of increased polarization, we must, as board members, effectively communicate with our constituents,” Rogers said.
Much of her campaign focused on lowering the barrier between the community and the school board, allowing for a more personal education experience that helps all students and staff succeed.
“I want teachers to want to teach at the beach,” Rogers said.
While this would include raising their pay, it would also encompass an increase in flexibility to earn overtime and receive vital training. As a ten-year teacher who also has legal experience, Rogers is extremely confident that her experience can be used to cut down on wasteful spending (she specifically cited section D of policy 665), and make VBCPS a safe environment for students in the LGBTQ community.
“I will advocate for policies that cater to the needs of every student in the district, regardless of their background,” Rogers said.
Matthew Cummings, District 7
After winning handily in his seventh district election, Matthew Cummings is excited to bring his broad expertise to the Virginia Beach School Board.
“With my background in education and vocational training, I bring a strong skill set to the School Board that can help drive progress and ensure we best serve our students, employees, and communities,” Cummings said in an interview.
That experience he mentioned includes his work with an effective vocational training start-up, as well as his strength with the technology and data side of education. Cummings website and platform emphasized his belief in the public school system, as well as his desire for it to serve every student with the necessary tools to be economically and socially successful after graduation.
With many concerns over teacher and bus driver shortages across the district, and trends around the country indicating the problem may worsen, many have wondered how school board members will make Virginia Beach an attractive place for prospective teachers.
“If we want to have the best possible outcomes for our students, then that starts with well-paid educators and staff,” Cummings said. “We need to do a better job listening to teachers through quarterly sentiment surveys and having an action plan in place in order to address feedback.”
School boards have faced scrutiny across the nation for their dealings within a few contentious categories. Cummings believes that the election proves that people are not as divided on these issues as it may seem, at least in District 7. He is firmly against book bans and in favor of DEI initiatives.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) was recently rated by Niche as the fifth best school district in Virginia and looks to continue that trend of excellence over the next four years. Despite having a board with various beliefs and backgrounds, all electees are hoping for collaboration and action that will best serve the students of Virginia Beach.
In recent years, school board elections have become political battlegrounds. Parties have often used school systems as a way to push partisan agendas forward, despite these positions technically being non-party affiliated. Luckily, Virginia Beach has been lucky to strike a key balance on its board in recent years.
“We try not to look at partisanship at all, we do what’s best for students to create a safe environment that is conducive to learning,” King said.
For any students who have any questions for their school board members, they can be contacted at [email protected].
