The race for two school board seats in Radford may come down to provisional ballots.
Republican-endorsed Brian Dobbins had 25% of the votes late Tuesday, with all precincts counted but 540 provisional ballots outstanding. It could take days for those ballots to be entered and then cross-referenced by the state department of elections.
As of 11 p.m. Monday, Democrat-endorsed Amanda Winter was in second with 22.1% of the vote. Republican-endorsed Ben Buzzard was just behind her with 21.8% of the vote. Twenty-seven votes separated the two candidates.
Kelsey Marletta, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party, received 18% of the vote, while Rebecca Dunn got 12%. Dunn was the only candidate to run without the endorsement of a political party.
Dobbins credited his good reception from voters to his dedication to the city as a 52-year resident and to his priorities of safety and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in Radford schools.
Dobbins said that while meeting voters at the city’s four precincts Tuesday, he made a point to introduce voters to his opponents as well. “I felt like all five candidates had the right frame of mind, that it’s all about the children,” he said. “No matter who wins, I still feel like the kids are in really good hands.”
Democrat-endorsed Amanda Winter is also the chair of the local Democratic Party. Winter posted on her campaign Facebook page on Friday that someone threw an object that chipped the windshield of her parked car. “I anticipated that running for office would attract strong opposition to my views, and I accept that differing opinions are part of the process,” she wrote. “I was prepared for scrutiny of my past, even though it mostly doesn’t define who I am today. What I wasn’t ready for was the level of lies, cyberbullying, and outright violence directed at me.”
Winter’s platform included transparency and open communication; prioritizing student wellbeing and success; safe, inclusive and equitable schools; supporting teachers and educational excellence; and community and parental engagement among its priorities.
“More than anything just grateful for everyone who encouraged me, supported me, came out and voted,” Winter said by phone Tuesday night. “We all want the best for Radford City Schools, we’ll see how it shakes out with provisionals.”
Buzzard did not respond to a text message late Tuesday night. He had campaigned on a platform of parents’ rights and increasing student safety. He also pledged to treat all Radford students with “dignity, opportunity and respect,” regardless of whether they were college-bound or going into a trade.
Marletta, who was also endorsed by the local Democratic Party, posted on her campaign Facebook page Tuesday night, “Thank you so much for those that supported me during my campaign. I wish the best for those that did win seats on our board.”
Marletta raised about $3,200 for her campaign, more than double what any other candidate reported raising, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
She has acknowledged instances of online bullying over the course of the campaign, both in reference to her physical appearance and to her family. “I am the candidate running for school board. NOT my children,” she wrote on Facebook. “While I have opened myself up to public scrutiny, my children are off limits.”
Staffing shortages and teacher retention were top priority for candidates this year, with four out of five candidates for the two available spots citing the issue in their Cardinal News candidate questionnaire.
Virginia schools have dealt with increased teacher turnover since the pandemic. In fall 2020, about 83% of teachers returned to the same school where they had taught the previous year, according to a University of Virginia analysis of Virginia Department of Education data. The following year, about 79% of teachers returned to their same school.
Radford has seen significant administrator turnover in recent years; last year, Superintendent Robert Graham resigned in exchange for the top post in Pulaski, citing a polarized board after the 2022 election. Tara Grant, principal of Radford High School, also departed for an assistant superintendent role in Pulaski County, and Belle Heth Principal Kelly Linkenhoker left to take over as principal at Salem High School.
