In Wise County, 9 people seek 4 school board seats

Only 24 of the 81 school board races across Southwest and Southside Virginia are contested.

The big exceptions are the counties of Campbell, Roanoke and Wise, where every seat on the ballot is contested.

In November, Wise County voters will choose between nine candidates seeking four school board seats.

The board has eight members, with half the seats on the ballot in each staggered-year election. 

The division, with a student population of 5,779 in the 2024-25 school year, operates four primary schools, four middle schools and three high schools, along with a career-technical center and an alternative education center.

In a locality with many low-income households, Wise County schools earn consistently high rankings in Virginia academic quality measurements. But like many Virginia school divisions, the county has had to work hard to reduce student absenteeism and to fund increasing levels of physical school security and cybersecurity.

District 1: Justin Bevins vs. Herb Shortt

The district runs along the county’s northwestern border with Kentucky and stretches from the town of Pound to the town of Appalachia.

Incumbent Herb Shortt, first elected in 2015, is challenged by Justin Bevins. Shortt is a retired former county circuit court deputy clerk and auditor for the commonwealth of Virginia who continues to work as an H&R Block tax professional. Bevins is a county sheriff’s deputy.

Bevins responded to two Cardinal News questions for all candidates: “What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your community and how would you propose to address it?” along with, “What else would you like voters to know?” 

Bevins says challenges facing county schools include a “lack of clear communication” that “has led to confusion and mistrust among residents, making it difficult to address local concerns effectively.” He asserts that many citizens “have expressed feeling a disconnection.” Further, Bevins says there are budget constraints that affect the quality of life for students and staff.

Bevins says he intends to “work on building stronger relationships between schools, parents and the community for success,” along with advocating to put budgeting priority on “projects that directly benefit our schools and community.”

Bevins said his number one goal “for our county schools is to make sure we have enough money to support our students and teachers, and to keep the lines of communication open. As a board member, I want to be someone who listens to the concerns of parents, teachers, and students, and works to find real solutions. I believe that being supportive means working together, being transparent about decisions, and making sure our schools get the funding they need to help everyone succeed. I will always put the best interests of students and the community first.”

Bevins said that his wife is a county teacher, his mother-in-law is a school paraprofessional and he has relatives who are substitute teachers. He has two children attending county schools.

Shortt says one of the school division’s biggest challenges is how the governor’s race will affect state education funding, which will require leaning on the school board’s relationship with the board of supervisors and local General Assembly members for support. 

Shortt has a daughter who teaches in a county school, a sister who works in a school office and a brother who drives a school bus and is married to the division’s director of elementary education. 

Shortt says he considers the board’s top accomplishments during his membership to be school security system upgrades, completing a building addition at Union Primary School and the board’s ability to provide annual pay raises and salary scale updates.

As for concerns about transparency and communication, Shortt said: “Our superintendent, staff, and board members communicate effectively. I personally give my cell phone to our community and staff when needed. Furthermore, I am active in our community and school buildings in order to be present and visible.”

Shortt noted that county schools provide free breakfast and lunch for all students and that Wise County is ranked third overall on state Standards of Learning performance, ranking in the top 10 for the past decade. 

District 2: Rosaland McAmis v. Mary Dora Smith

The district runs along the county’s eastern border with Russell County and includes the town of Wise and part of the town of Coeburn.

Incumbent Rosalind McAmis, director of the early learning center at Mt. Olive Church in Wise, seeks a second term. She is challenged by Mary Dora Smith, a retired county teacher and the wife of Wise Mayor Caynor Smith.

McAmis said that her husband, the pastor at Mt. Olive Church and a former county high school principal and coach, continues to work as a supervisor in the school division’s central office. 

She said she has other relatives working in the school system, but added, “It would not be fair to make this about them. As the applicant pool decreases for teachers and coaches, we should consider it an honor for any of our kids to follow in their parent’s footsteps as an educator. If they so choose to apply for another position within the school system, it is my duty to not influence the principal on any recommendation or my fellow board members on approval as they should be the most qualified candidate.”

She has three children who graduated from county schools, most recently this year. 

Responding to Cardinal News’ initial questions, McAmis says of school division challenges, “The shortage of qualified educators, administrators and coaches is deeply concerning … as the county struggles to fill these positions, students lose access to instruction, consistent support and mentorship.” Further, McAmis expressed concern about bridging the gap in learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, “especially in our special education department.”

McAmis says, “Every decision I make is prayerfully considered with students at heart.” She noted that she has volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse during natural disasters and participated in more than 10 mission trips to Nicaragua, “each experience reinforcing my belief that serving others, especially children, is one of the highest callings in life.”

Calling herself “more of a behind-the-scenes person,” McAmis said: “My dedication to supporting our schools is unwavering. I strongly believe in standing beside our teachers and administrators as they guide and inspire our children daily. My focus has been, and will continue to be, ensuring that every student is given the tools, opportunities, and encouragement they need to thrive. My prior school board experience has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to serve even more effectively. I know firsthand the importance of balancing student success, staff support, and fiscal responsibility.”

Asked to name her number one accomplishment on the board, McAmis said some initiatives are still in progress. She noted that, among other items, she advocated for a longer summer break with a later school start date, supported paying employees a bonus for the last four years and having the division absorb insurance cost increases, supported raising pay for substitute teachers and similar positions, worked toward building a new gym at one middle school and a multimillion-dollar addition at another, and has been involved in efforts that enable the school division’s consistently high state academic rankings.

Asked to comment on concerns about communication and transparency, McAmis said citizens have many opportunities to be engaged, from attending board meetings to using social media and other channels to contact board members. Recently, the division approved a staff member “who will be dedicated to building on those efforts,” she noted. 

As for stated concerns about finances, McAmis questioned whether school financing is insufficient. County supervisors are very supportive of schools, she said, and students have access to computers, tablets and other technology. 

On virtual learning days, school meals are sent to students at home, and the division works closely with local and national agencies to make sure students have “essentials needed to perform daily,” McAmis said. 

Smith says one of her biggest concerns is the declining student population, and she wants to strengthen partnerships between the county, towns and schools to promote job growth and adequate housing, which can retain students.

School board members and division staff must work together with county supervisors to pursue sufficient finances for county schools, she said.

Also, Smith expressed concern as to whether students’ needs “are fairly and impartially met” by school staff, and that students get opportunities to do their best “without regard to socioeconomic status.”

Smith says her 30 years in Wise County schools and experience presenting at education conferences and serving on community and church committees allow her to “understand what our teachers need to help our students succeed and what our students need.”

Smith said that she has no family members employed by county schools. “I do not support hiring personnel based on their family or friends when they do not have the qualifications that would place them in the position otherwise.” She added, “I have no axes to grind or a hidden agenda.”

Smith said her children attended county schools, and she now has four grandchildren in the school system.

Her top goal, if elected, she said, is to make sure all students are “treated fairly and equally based on their needs, regardless of their socioeconomic status, abilities or disabilities.” This points to a “need to communicate better within our schools and communities while setting realistic goals for our students,” she said.

“Fostering an atmosphere where all stakeholders feel free to express themselves without fear of retribution is key in transparency,” according to Smith. “When the truth is given whether it be about your student or operations within a building, it builds and encourages greater public involvement and engagement.”

District 3: Stephanie Kern vs. Micah Nida

The district runs along the county’s southwestern border with Lee and Scott counties and includes the town of Big Stone Gap.

Incumbent Stephanie Kern, an attorney whose practice includes guardian ad litem services for children in difficult family situations, seeks her second term. She is challenged by chef and businessman Micah Nida, who operates the popular Cluck Truck food truck and recently expanded the business. 

Regarding county students’ biggest challenge, Kern says many people would say it is a lack of wealth, but she believes a lack of perspective “is actually far more detrimental.” She points to examples of celebrities who grew up poor and made great achievements through “purpose, hope, determination, and a strong work ethic, which compelled them out of poverty or beyond seemingly insurmountable circumstances.”

Kern said students need to learn critical thinking skills, “as opposed to critical theory ideologies,” and points to author James Lindsay, who associates “critical theory” in education with Marxism/communism as a structure that dismisses and undermines “critical thinking.”

Kern says students should be taught that the nation is exceptional because of its democratic traditions of capitalism and free markets and that students “do not have to be defined by their current circumstances or limited by a government program.” Kern adds that students “are not irredeemably victims or oppressors, and that there is a purpose for his or her life. These realizations and a poverty mentality are mutually exclusive.”

Asked to name her top achievement on the board, Kern said she hopes her participation has benefited students and schools in many ways. But she pinpointed a specific action: Joining with four other members to end a face masking mandate for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was actually a huge step toward improvement of the students’ physical and emotional health, which of course improved their ability to learn and joyfully be children.”

Responding to concerns about communication and transparency, Kern noted that citizens can contact board members and any school’s administrators, guidance counselors and teachers. Also, District 3 school staff frequently communicate with parents and guardians by text and messaging apps. Further, she noted, the school division puts a monthly newsletter online.

Kern said she wants to reestablish gatherings such as parent-teacher associations and organize other events to bring people together. 

As for school finances, Kern said there is always something that requires spending, but “our schools are not lacking. Our students are not deprived.” High academic rankings help make that point, according to Kern. 

At this time, Kern has no relatives attending or employed by county schools.

She encouraged voters to get more information about her campaign on its website. The site promotes belief in the role of God in the nation’s foundation, along with several resources that promote biblical principles and Christian education sites.

Nida, responding to Cardinal News’ initial questions, said the biggest challenge is a lack of teacher representation at school board meetings. “Teachers are our most important asset when it comes to public schools, and their voices must be heard in order to ensure that our area’s children are receiving the education that they deserve.” He said he will meet directly with teachers and host a monthly forum before each board meeting.

Hosting public meetings with parents and teachers is a key component of Nida’s strategy to gather information about communication and transparency barriers and give them a voice outside of regular board meetings, he says. “The faculty of our schools know better than anyone what the internal happenings and status of schools are, and to improve the quality of education and life for our children, we have to start with them.”

Nida also plans to return his part-time pay for school board service to be spent on school programs and supplies. 

Nida said that while he is young, among the candidates, he has the most recent experience as a Wise County student, having graduated in 2013.

He graduated from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 2017 and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. He has one son who has not reached school age. 

Nida said he has no relatives working in county schools.

District 4: Israel Hamilton vs. Steve Jones vs. Angela Owens

The district runs along the county’s southeastern border with Scott and Russell counties and includes parts of the towns of Coeburn and St. Paul. 

Incumbent Dr. Mark Raymond, a dentist, is not seeking another term. The candidates are Angela Owens, a Wise County Health Department nurse; Steve Jones, a former sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer who teaches criminal justice courses at Mountain Empire Community College; and Israel Hamilton, the warden at Keen Mountain Correctional Center in Buchanan County.

Owens says one of the division’s biggest challenges is that many students face obstacles such as limited access to mental health services, varying levels of family support and resource gaps. She plans to advocate for increased mental health support in schools and collaboration with various partners to help close resource gaps.

She said her work in health care and volunteer service gives her a unique perspective on the connection between health, well-being and academic success.

Owens said that her husband teaches at a county school and is a bus driver. Her daughter graduated from county schools. 

Jones identifies financial constraints as the school division’s biggest challenge and says restrictions on federal education funding will have a big impact. He plans to work with state and local officials on backup funding options.

Jones further said he thinks voters “feel as if no one listens to their concerns and is advocating for their interests,” and that if elected, he will be transparent with parents. 

Jones said that his wife has worked for the county school system for 31 years and said his children graduated from county schools. 

Having served 14 years as a school resource officer and now in his teaching career, Jones said, “I am very aware of some of the problems and obstacles that our school-aged population faces. If we want to work toward lessening or eliminating these issues, we are going to have to build strong relationships with agencies outside of the school system that have the training and resources that are needed.”

Hamilton did not respond to repeated requests for information about his campaign.