CHESAPEAKE, Va. — In Chesapeake, there are ten candidates vying for four at-large School Board seats, with four current school board members running for re-election.
Incumbent City Council members
Swygert is the current chair of the Chesapeake School Board. She is a graduate of the Chesapeake Public School system, and was elected to the board in 2020.
"In the last few years we’ve navigated some of the most challenging times I believe any school board has faced. I'm committed to facing challenges thoughtfully, strategically," she said.
Boone has served the Chesapeake school board for 12 years, first elected in 2012 and then re-elected in 2016 and 2020. He previously served in the Virginia State Police, reaching Master Trooper. He is also Vice Chair of the Virginia Parole Board.
“We need to do the best we can to take politics out of classroom. Many making these decisions on state and national level never spent time in the classroom," he said.
Mercer was first elected to the school board in 1996, the longest serving member of the school board seeking reelection.
He is currently the pastor at the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Chesapeake.
“It’s important to have someone who has a history. I wouldn’t want a school board of 28 years of service by everyone. But it’s important to know the background where we came from," he said.
Pool is the most recent addition to the school board now seeking reelection. He previously served for 23 years as a paramedic in Norfolk.
“We fought first amendment rights and we’ve made things work under that. We’ve thought the entire process of the Governor’s model policies and enacted that, added Sheriff’s officers to the schools," he said.
Candidates with education background
Huddle has more than three decades of school experience, primarily serving as a counselor. She has also served as an academic advisor at Old Dominion University.
“I've worked with students from all walks of life. All socioeconomic backgrounds and a lot of different backgrounds for what comes after," she said.
Willis is currently a substitute teacher in the Chesapeake Public School system. They have experienced teaching through the learning loss onset by the COVID-19 pandemic and believes their current experience best translates to guide future students.
“I understand how our students are struggling within the classroom right now. The curriculum especially for first graders is all based on a textbook," they said.
Parents who want to make a difference
Colon has previously run for Virginia's House of Delegates but is now turning to the Chesapeake School Board instead. He is an advocate of making sure parents have a seat at the table.
“Prioritizing parents voices and ensuring they have a seat at the table continuously. Not something we say but what we do and we adhere to it," he said.
Shaheer lists himself a dedicated father, an advocate for public education, and a passionate community leader.
“Public school education has always been number in my house, mother was a preschool teacher, always had to do our homework before watching television," he says.
Dono is a retired Navy veteran who spent roughly a decade in active duty and his remaining time in the reserves. He hopes to lead drawing from a combination of "military tenure, legal and business background."
“I'm running because our greatest asset is our kids, bar none. Everything we can do to make sure they’re safe and treated fairly, grow up and be pillars of our society," he said.
After 25 years in public safety with the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, Stahler is looking to next serve on the Chesapeake School Board. He maintains a focus on school safety improvements.
“My top priority is school safety, I know complacency can lead to failure. So I'll work consistently to evolve security methods," he said.