Are you considering voting in the School Board elections but have no idea if the candidates share the same beliefs as you? Are you confused by all the different districts? What do school board members even do? Well, The Pack is here to help inform you on how the school board elections work and who is running on November 7th!
Throughout Loudoun County, there are eight different districts. Depending on your district, voters are assigned different poll stations with specific ballots. This can prevent a Leesburg District resident from voting for the Broad Run District candidates. If you are unsure of what district you live in, residents of Loudoun County can figure out the district they reside in through the Loudoun County Government website. These districts are the Algonkian District, Ashburn District, Broad Run District, Catoctin District, Dulles District, Leesburg District, Little River District, and Sterling District. Voters whose children attend school are registered under the Leesburg District. Within these districts, two candidates are running for school board members or representatives. Under some circumstances, there may be more or less than two candidates running for a chair on the school board. According to an article published by We Go Public, school board members are elected officials designated to represent the values and diverse opinions of their specific district.
Here is the list of districts and the candidates running for a chair on the school board:
Algonkian District
April Moore Chandler
April Moore Chandler is a forty-seven year old mother to two children and has been a resident within the district for fifteen years. April is a graduate of College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina and has worked for LCPS for 15 years, according to her personal campaign website April For Algonkian. She is currently a staff aide to an Algonkian District representative and is endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. April’s goals and priorities for LCPS if she gets elected are to ensure physical safety for all students, provide excellent educators, and engage LCPS families and the Loudoun County community as a whole to provide excellence in education.
Viktoria Hunyadi
Viktoria Hunyadi, born and raised in Hungary, became a naturalized U.S citizen in 2010. After graduating with a master’s in Christian education, Hunyadi transferred her career to being a ministry director and educator, according to the Washington Post. Hunyadi is also endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican committee, according to her personal campaign website Viktoria Hunyadi For Schools. Hunyadi claims if she is elected, she will prioritize safety for all LCPS students, resources such as individual education plans and other plans to help inspire and allow academic excellence, protect and provide parental rights, and support LCPS educators and staff.
Ashburn District
Deana Griffiths
Deana Griffiths is 50 years old and a 15 year resident of Loudoun County’s Ashburn District. Griffiths graduated from the Jersey Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree and graduate certificate in human resources. Griffiths has involved herself within Heritage Girls and LCPS through volunteering. Griffiths is also endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, according to her personal campaign website Deana For Ashburn. If elected, Griffiths plans to offer fiscal transparency to LCPS families, foster academic excellence and success, eliminate bureaucracy from school administration, and ensure public school safety.
Harris Mahedavi
Harris Mahedavi is a forty-nine year old father of two children and longtime resident of the Loudoun County Ashburn District. Mahedavi is the current serving vice-chairman of the Loudoun County School board and is endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee, according to his personal campaign website Harris For Ashburn. If elected, Mahedavi plans to promote mental health resources and education for LCPS students, ensure support for special education programs, improve academic excellence, and support LCPS personnel to guarantee an excellent education.
Broad Run District
Chris Hodges
Chris Hodges is a sixty year old father with three children, residing in Broadlands for more than seventeen years. Chris Hodges served in the U.S Navy and owned his own financial planning business, according to his personal campaign website Hodges For School Board. Hodges is a Certified Financial Planner, endorsed by Loudoun County Republican Committee, and currently strives for a strong merit-based education within LCPS. If elected, Hodges plans to prioritize academic excellence for all LCPS students, ensure physical safety throughout all schools with transparent school administration, guarantee parental rights and involvement, teacher and staff support with a positive work environment and reassessing salaries, and transparency towards the use of Loudoun County tax dollars.
Dr. Linda W. Deans
Dr. Linda W. Deans is a seventy-four year old mother and Loudoun County Democratic Committee endorsed candidate for the Loudoun County School Board. Deans began her career after receiving her PhD in Urban Services in North Carolina, according to her personal campaign website Linda Deans for Broad Run. Deans previously worked as an adjunct professor for community and four-year universities in North Carolina and Virginia, director of education in a psychiatric facility and mental health facility, assistant principal and dean of students within different public schools, and the director of STEM at Langley Research Center. If elected, Deans plans to prioritize a quality education for LCPS students, diversity throughout students and staff, and engaging parents and the Loudoun County community.
Catoctin District
Karen “Kari” LaBell
A mother of four and endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, Karen “Kari” LaBell, a longtime resident of Loudoun County’s Catoctin District, according to her personal campaign website Kari For Catoctin, hopes to revitalize LCPS as, “The finest school system in the United States.” LaBell claims if she is elected, she plans to prioritize how prepared students are for life, partnering with LCPS parents to ensure an excellent education for their children, and guarantee protection of Special Needs students and Special Education programs throughout LCPS.
Megan Lockwood
Megan Lockwood is a forty-three year old mother to four and Loudoun County Democratic Committee endorsed candidate. Lockwood has lived in Loudoun County for fifteen years, and has worked as a full-time substitute teacher for LCPS, according to her personal campaign website Lockwood For Loudoun. If elected, Lockwood plans to ensure the physical and mental safety of all LCPS students, address the communication gap between LCPS families and the Loudoun County School Board, equitable allocation of budget, and improve staff recruitments and training to guarantee a strong, rigorous education for all LCPS students.
Dulles District
Melinda Mansfield
Fifty-three years old and currently endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, Melinda Mansfield is the only candidate for Dulles District. The Dulles District is one of the few special cases for the school board elections this year, but nevertheless, Mansfield is a strong candidate guaranteeing academic excellence. Mansfield plans to prioritize safety for all children, regardless of background, in LCPS schools, provide academic excellence, support LCPS educators, and support Special Education programs, according to her personal campaign website Mansfield For Education.
Leesburg District
Erika Ogedegbe
Erika Ogedegbe is a longtime twenty year resident in Loudoun County’s Leesburg District. She is currently endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee and previously worked as an office manager and Chief Data Architect at American University. If elected, according to her personal campaign website Erika For Loudoun, Ogedegbe plans to prioritize the retention and growth of LCPS staff, improve communication between the school board and LCPS families, and help students learn to be citizens of the world.
Lauren Shernoff
Lauren Shernoff has been a Loudoun resident for eight years. She is currently an independent representative, utilizing her knowledge as a mother to improve education for all, according to her personal campaign website Lauren For Leesburg. If elected, she plans to partner with LCPS families to guarantee academic success for their children, ensure physical safety throughout all LCPS schools, create a strong support system for LCPS educators, and establish transparency to rebuild public trust.
Little River District
Dr. Sumera Rashid
According to her personal campaign website Rashid For VA, Rashid is endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee and is an LCPS mother. If elected, the forty-four year old plans to prioritize transparency and communication with LCPS families, promote academic excellence, support special education programs, and ensure physical and mental safety for students.
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, currently endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, is a LCPS father of four with a bachelor’s degree in Biology according to his campaign website Joe Smith for School Board. If elected, Smith plans to ensure academic excellence, support LCPS staff and families, and promote a diverse, inclusive school culture.
Sterling District
Arben Istrefi
Arben is a thirty-eight year old Loudon County Democratic Committee endorsed candidate for a school board chair in the Sterling District. According to a press release from Loudoun Now and his personal campaign website Arben For Sterling, Istrefi plans to guarantee every LCPS student an excellent education, regardless of background, meet every need of all students, and engage LCPS families and the Loudoun community.
Sarath Kolla
Sarath Kolla is one of the three candidates for the Sterling District. Unfortunately, information on Kolla’s campaign and goals if elected is quite scarce. According to the Washington Post and Loudoun Times-Mirror, Kolla’s name remains on the ballot, even though her campaign website is currently inactive. Sadly, The Pack was unable to get in touch with Kolla.
Amy Ricardi
Amy Ricard, according to her personal campaign website Amy For Sterling, is a Loudoun County Endorsed Republican candidate for the Sterling District School Board Chair. Amy Ricardi received her Master’s In Education from George Mason University and has worked as a teacher, youth coach, and girls sports referee. If elected, Ricardi strives to prioritize school appropriate books that promote a variety of stories and learning experiences, protecting privacy within school bathrooms and locker rooms, ensuring physical and mental safety for all LCPS students, staff, and administrators, and engaging LCPS families to help keep them aware of what is happening within their child’s education.
Now, another job that is electoral-based on the Loudoun County School Board is the position of Member-At-Large. In LCPS, the Member-At-Large is designated to represent all values and diverse opinions of the entire county. The candidates are below.
Member-At-Large
Michael Rivera
Michael Rivera is a fellow candidate for member-at-large. Michael Rivera is fifty-seven years old, a father of two children, and a current detective at the Loudoun County Sheriff’s office, according to the Michael Rivera campaign website Rivera For Schools. Michael Rivera also has two degrees in engineering and is endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican committee. If elected, Rivera’s top priorities for the Algonkian District are for accountability and transparency to guarantee engagement throughout the community, safety for all within LCPS schools, and a strong support system for LCPS educators.
Anna Donahue
Anna Donahue, according to her personal campaign website Anne for At Large, is a forty-three year old mother and endorsed candidate by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. Donahue states if elected, that she’ll guarantee a safe and inclusive environment for all students, a strong support system for LCPS educators and staff, decision making that focuses on the interests of the students, and the restoration of civil disclosure.
What’s Next?
There are a total of sixteen candidates spread across eight districts, plus the position of Member-At-Large and its two running candidates. Each candidate brings a variety of strengths that can continue to ensure a strong education within LCPS and further improve the county overall. As the polls open on Tuesday, the 7th at 6AM, be prepared to know how the elections work and who you are voting for. Every vote helps support and improve the Loudoun community.
Stay tuned for election results in an upcoming article from staff writer and Co-Editor in Chief Sydney Nicklas. Remember, every vote counts!
