VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On November 5, Virginia Beach voters will elect six school board members. Districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 are up for grabs, as well as an at-large seat. Voters can locate their district on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Sample ballots by district are available on the City of Virginia Beach website.
Voters will also cast ballots for the U.S. President, Senate and House of Representatives. Virginia voters will also decide on a proposed amendment to the state constitution. Some Virginia Beach voters will also elect city council representatives.
Each candidate for school board received an invitation to speak with 13News Now. Districts are listed in numerical order, and candidate names are in alphabetical order.
District 1
Rose Dwyer
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I’m passionate. I’m passionate about the future generation; I want better for them. I had a wonderful school career in public school, I had many opportunities. My children had opportunities, and I want those same opportunities for this generation and the students of Virginia Beach City. I want to do more.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
The current board member trades her votes in her own personal interests, not the best interest of the students. She politically does this, and I want to make it very clear that my interests are to those students. My interests are to value what the parents have to say, the teachers, and I will continue to serve in the best capacity and honorably, not to my own interest, and my own political gain, but as a community servant.
I’m going to stand up on the promises and values I made to the voters. I’m going to represent them well.
Jennifer Franklin (Incumbent)
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I was that crazy mom staying up until midnight making goodie bags for the teachers. I’ve always been very passionate about making sure the teachers felt supported, that we know what’s going on in our schools. I have a really developed a true passion for working with families and working with teachers.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I have the experience. [School board] is a lot. It’s like drinking through a firehose. We have some very important decisions coming up, including our revenue sharing formula with city council. Having that experience is going to make such a difference during those discussions. I have a lot of opportunity already to talk to city council; I think continuity is going to be very important.
[I’m the] candidate who listens. I truly want to listen to every single voice. Again, we’re in local politics. Your neighbor’s opinion matters whether you agree with it or not. We have got to listen.
District 3
Mark Bohenstiel
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
Our future generation is important to me and I am deeply committed to our community and positive academic outcomes for all students.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I am a business owner, not a career government administrator. I will bring a fresh perspective to the School Board as a representative who will ask hard questions, challenge the status quo, and ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of District 3 and our community.
I define my candidacy as focused on community service, educational excellence, school safety, and vocational readiness.
District 4 Special Election
Anissa Bowden did not respond to requests for comment.
Alveta Green
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I decided to run because when I saw some of the policies being implemented, as a lifelong educator, I’m always consistent and ensuring that students, adults are always able to receive knowledge. My biggest concern was when I saw our school board implement a book ban. To me, that’s censoring knowledge and intelligence which often affects marginalized groups of people.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I have been actively involved in my District 4 community for many years. My community trusts me. I have 39 years of public education, and there’s not a position I haven’t held either officially or unofficially in the school division that has not prepared me for this. Even though I retired from Virginia Beach Public Schools in 2022, I’ve remained active in my community.
I'm an advocate, I follow through, I'm kind. I care about our community.
Shannon Kendrick (Incumbent)
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I got a phone call and another phone call, and I said, "Well, maybe I should pray about this and see if this is the direction I’m supposed to be going." I said, it couldn’t hurt to put my hat in the ring. In the process, I developed a real desire and want to be on the school board. It’s been incredible.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I really care about the constituents that we serve. I’ve seen the dangers of the hyper-partisanship. It’s time to stop it. It’s important to be about the business of the people. I have a track record of doing that.
I want people to remember me as the candidate who brought civility back to the school board, that set an example of what servant leadership is supposed to look like. [I’m] the candidate that’s about putting the people and the city of Virginia Beach first.
District 5
Melinda Rogers
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I’m running because I really feel the school board needs the voice of an educator who’s been in the school system recently.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I’m someone who’s been in education for quite a long time. I’ve been in the buildings, I worked in the buildings. I understand where there are some problems we can work on and address, and I also understand where things are maybe a distraction. While it may seem like a problem because it’s on the national stage, I understand it’s not a problem in Virginia Beach.
I’m the candidate focused on education; that is my sole purpose here. I’m not interested in another political seat. I’m not interested in politics. I tell people I’m just a teacher, I’m not a politician. Even though I’m running for school board, I’m just focused on education.
Vincent Smith
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I was an employee in Building 2 when the shooting happened there, and after that, there was a wild swing in political actions as a result of that event. At that point, I started to get very politically involved and decided this may be some thing I want to do to benefit the community. I feel like this is a way that I can better benefit the community a little more directly.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I don’t necessarily want to get into why I’m the best person, I just want to tell your viewers why I’m a good choice. I have 25 years of managing capital work, capital budgets, working in municipal, state, federal government. This is the same type of budget. I have decades of experience managing those kinds of budgets. I also have the skill set of engineering and capital background that we don’t have on the school board right now. I also am the husband of a teacher here in Virginia Beach schools.
I’m not running because I’m angry. I’m not running because I think we have bad schools. I want to run for this office because I think we have great schools, but just because they’re great doesn’t mean we can’t make them a little bit better.
District 7
Matthew Cummings
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I have 13 years of experience in education. For the last five years, I spent time working for a startup in the vocational training space. [I have] a strong professional background in education, but also experience in equity, experience in building high-performing teams. What drew me to running for school board is to bring those skills I’ve built over time and help serve the city of Virginia Beach.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
We’re all trying to run for what we view as positive change for our community. I think [my opponent and I] have differences in what we think public education should be. I encourage people to look at the professional experience of people running for office to see how that experience relates to the job. School board is a job, it pays money, it’s in charge of over a billion dollars. I think voters need to take that criteria into the voting booth.
I really want to work hard for championing every single student to obtain strong academic learning and performance in order for them to move on to the next steps in their life, whether that’s college, vocational training, or the military.
Noah Moreland
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
The investment the city has put in me, having lived here for 26 years, I thought it only fitting to invest back into the school system. I just got engaged this past July, so I expect we’ll probably have kids in a couple of years. [I want to] make the school system better and prepare it for my potential future kids.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
Plain and put, I know the city and I care about it. It’s the only home I’ve every known, and it’s the home I foresee myself living in, potentially, [for] the rest of my life. That’s not something a lot of people can say.
Virginia Beach is a crossroads city I find, but this is the only place I’ve ever known, so I know the city, I know the people. I interact with students on a weekly basis, I’m a youth leader at the church I attend, so I just really have a grasp on the issues going on. I see my young age as a different voice.
At-large Seat
Monty Ashliman
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
The U.S. Navy has been my way of my life until I recently retired after 32 years of service in naval aviation. I love to serve, whether it’s our nation, the communities, the population, I want to continue serving and ensure the Virginia Beach City Public Schools are solidly established as a place where parents, students, teachers are proud to be and where parents want to send their students.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
My opponent is a wonderful lady. I think she is unquestionably dedicated and concerned about the same things that we all are. We just differ in how we provide that best educational experience. Whether it’s material in the libraries, whether it’s academic excellence, we just have different opinions and different values on how we provide that best education.
I’m the candidate that serves for people in their best interests, taking into account others that may not think like me, others that may not vote like me, others that may not have the same background as me. That’s the beauty of this great nation; it’s a melting pot of ideas.
Sharon Felton
Why did you decide to run for Virginia Beach School Board?
I got into politics because of my community. I’m a strong advocate for the community, and I realized my community did not know the logistics or who represented them on the school board.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this seat?
I served eight consecutive years on the school board; I have history. I am one of the ones responsible for several policies that went forth. We initiated kindergarten in all of our elementary schools. I’m there for every student every day. With that said, my going back onto the board is to really support our educators, our staff, our teachers.
I’m the candidate that’s for every student every day and making sure that every student gets the accessibility to an equitable education, every student. I want to engage our parents and our community.