HAMPTON, Va. — Voters have reelected four members to the Hampton School Board.
Incumbents Tina Banks-Gray, Reginald Woodhouse, Stephanie Jackson Afonja, and Ann Stephens Cherry succeeded in their attempt to get re-elected as a team.
They won over Natalie Kidd, the only newcomer seeking a spot on the board.
Tina Banks-Gray has served on the school board since she was first elected back in 2020.
As she continues in her role as board member, she’s prioritizing adding more resources and support for Hampton Public School teachers.
"I want to see if we can get more compensation for our teachers. They are the backbone of our district; the accreditation, all of the SOLs, they come from our teachers so my heart will always be with them," said Banks-Gray. "We need to do more to attract more teachers to come here and retain the teachers we have."
This is the third time voters have selected Reginald Woodhouse to serve on Hampton School Board. Woodhouse is originally from Chesapeake but moved to Hampton, where he spent some time as an educator. He is currently a pastor for First Baptist Church.
Now that he’s been re-elected to the board, Woodhouse is focusing on expanding the number of academies found within the city's limits.
"I want to maintain that direction we are going in, that forward progress that we have right now," said Woodhouse. "The academies of Hampton are working quite well for our students, and so I want to see more academies formed in the Hampton school system."
Stephanie Jackson Afonja was first elected to the school board back in 2020. She was born and raised in Hampton, where she started a career in helping teens with mental health. She is currently the owner of Family Restoration Services and Holistic Family Solutions for more than 15 years.
With another term on the board secured, Afonja’s top priority is making more resources available to help students struggling with mental health and disabilities.
"That's one of the things that is nearest and dearest to me, is supporting our children," said Afonja. "The children who receive special support, or extra attention, we want to make sure that when they leave us, they can successfully transition and continue to thrive in our communities as adults."
First elected in 2016, Ann Stephens Cherry has nearly a decade of experience on the Hampton School Board. She was born and raised in the City of Hampton, where she started a career with Hampton City Schools. Cherry retired from her position as the executive director of public relations and marketing for Hampton City Schools.
Now chosen to serve yet another term on the board, Cherry said lowering drop-out rates for the students across Hampton is of top priority.
"I ran in 2016 only because our schools at that time were 47% accredited, and not one high school was accredited," said Cherry. "We ran, we won, we got some other people on board to make as a team and now we are 100% accredited for three years in a row, and I want to continue to build on what we've done."
