An attempt to flip three Roanoke County School Board seats held by incumbents fell short Tuesday. Longtime incumbents Tim Greenway in the Vinton District and David Linden in the Hollins District won their reelection campaigns.
The third race, in the Windsor Hill District between incumbent Cheryl Facciani and challenger Ryan White, was too close to call late Tuesday.
Hollins District
In the Hollins District, David Linden was reelected with about 63% of the vote over challenger E. Winter Schassberger, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Reached by phone Tuesday night, Linden said he was appreciative of the voters of the Hollins District and he looked forward to four more years of service on the school board.
“I think voters have spoken loud and clear that they like the direction we’re headed,” he said. He complimented his opponent’s energy and positivity during the campaign.
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Schassberger conceded the race in a Facebook post around 10 p.m. that noted her respect for Linden. “I will continue to stand in the gap for our students and teachers, and I believe that Mr. Linden will meet me there.”
Schassberger raised nearly $11,000 for her campaign — double Linden’s fundraising as of Oct. 23.
Linden was elected to the board in 2017. He served as board chair in 2022.
Vinton District
In the Vinton District, incumbent Tim Greenway was reelected with about 61% of the vote over challenger Amber Reed, according to unofficial results from the state Elections Department.
“Your trust means more to me than I can put into words, and I am truly honored to serve this community,” Greenway told voters in a statement shared with Cardinal News on Tuesday night.
Greenway thanked Reed in his statement and said, “I learned a great deal from her, and I am grateful for the example she set.”
Reed, a Roanoke teacher, conceded the race in a Facebook post around 9 p.m. “This campaign may have ended, but the work continues,” she wrote. “My resolve to advocate for high‐quality public education in Roanoke County — one that supports our teachers, respects our staff, ensures access for every child, and keeps public funding in public schools — remains as strong as ever.”
Greenway was charged with a misdemeanor in October for issues with his paperwork to get on the ballot. That case was dismissed pending 100 hours of community service within six months.
Greenway was first elected to the board in 2015 and has served as board chair and vice chair over the years.
Windsor Hills District
The Windsor Hills District was too close to call Tuesday night. As of 10:30 p.m., incumbent Cheryl Facciani had received 49.19% of the vote, while challenger Ryan White had received 49.89%.
Provisional ballots must still be counted. County registrar Anna Cloeter did not respond to an inquiry late Tuesday about how many provisional ballots had been submitted by district voters.
Facciani was elected in 2021 and has been one of the loudest conservative voices on the board in recent years. In her campaign messaging, she closely aligned herself with the Youngkin administration’s policy priorities, including limiting the rights of transgender students and curbing youth cellphone use.
White, a child psychiatrist, has spoken during public comment at many school board meetings over the past few years calling for fair treatment of LGBTQ+ and transgender children in the school division. He has also called for the school division to be more proactive in its response to bullying.
White’s campaign raised more than $11,000 as of Oct. 23, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Facciani raised just $425, according to campaign finance data posted on VPAP as of Oct. 23. When asked about her reporting earlier in October, she said she hadn’t needed to fundraise for the election due to her “strong record and established name recognition.”
Facciani did not return a phone call Tuesday night. White declined to comment.
Additional contested school board races in Southwest and Southside Virginia:
Amherst County
At large: Jason Childress defeated Pamela Giovenelli
Bedford County
District 4: Jill Dobson defeated William Travis Engel
Botetourt County
Buchanan District: Jenny Wilson defeated Helen Beard
Campbell County
Brookneal District: Maurice Peerman defeated Jamie Adams
Rustburg District: David Phillips defeated Beverly Jones
Timberlake District: Ann Parker defeated Ryan Hartman
Franklin County
At-large: Todd Martin defeated Edward Jamison
Giles County
At large (two seats available): Melissa Guynn and William “Davy” Price defeated Phillip Pennington
Henry County
Blackberry District: Sherry Vestal vs. Jonathan Martin. At 11 p.m., Vestal had 55% of votes compared to Martin’s 44%, with nearly 900 early votes left to be counted.
Lunenburg County
District 1: Aubrey “Tony” Craven defeated Angela Freeman
Montgomery County
District C: Dana Partin defeated Adam Ryan
Nelson County
Central District: Stacia “Stacy” Rush defeated Wayne Hachey
North District: Joe Richardon defeated Sarah Tracy
Pittsylvania County
Bannister District: Willie Fitzgerald Jr. defeated Sonya Womack-Miranda
Washington County
District E: Debbie Anderson defeated Thomas Musick
Wise County
District 1: Justin Blevins defeated Herbert Shortt
District 2: Mary Dora Smith defeated Rosalind McAmis
District 3: Stephanie Kern defeated Micah Nida
District 4: Angela Owens defeated Steve Jones and Israel Hamilton
