Public education in Norfolk, Virginia, city and school district elections (2016)

Voters in Norfolk, Virginia, voted for mayor, two city council members, and two school board members on May 3, 2016. This was the first time the city voted for school board members in more than 60 years, following a 2014 referendum that replaced the council-appointed school board with a publicly elected board.

The change was approved by 85 percent of voters on the referendum, but the format of the elected board was left up to the city council. The council chose to create an election system parallel to its own. The city council includes the mayor, five regular ward seats, and two super ward seats; the school board has five regular ward seats and two super ward seats. This election format saw strong dissent. Meanwhile, the board's newly-elected status does not affect its underlying relationship with the city. The school board sets the district's budget, but the city council maintains final authority over approving that budget.

The city's education reputation and funding were key issues in the city council race. The school board submitted a budget recommendation seeking a $10 million increase in education spending from the city, which was considered as the city completed its overall budget for the 2016–2017 fiscal year. The intersection of school board and city council authority are discussed below as it related to these issues of finance and external perceptions of the city's education system.

Click the links below for the full list of candidates and issues specific to each race:

• mayoral and city council races
• school board races

New board format

2014 referendum

After 60 years of a city council-appointed school board, Norfolk voters overwhelmingly approved a switch back to an elected school board in the 2014 election. Over 85 percent of voters on the referendum voted in favor of changing the selection system. Before the referendum, the city council appointed school board members to three-year terms.

As part of the transition to a fully elected board, two seats were up for election in 2016, and the remaining five seats were up for election in 2018. In accordance with electoral laws in the state of Virginia, the city council held a drawing to determine which two current board members' seats would be up for election. Board members Noelle Gabriel and Rodney Jordan were selected to end their terms early with the option to run for election to their seats.

City council sets election style; local advocates respond

Better Together Norfolk, "Andria McClellan Speaks Against Ward System for Norfolk's School Board," March 2, 2015

The city council was in charge of deciding the format of the election and the makeup of the board. The previous election system for the board, prior to the council-appointed system, was at-large. The city council decided in a 5-3 vote to change the makeup of the board to a ward-based group and to have residents vote by district, with each of the seven seats representing a different ward or super ward. Council members Andrew Protogyrou, Tommy Smigiel, and Theresa Whibley voted against the change. Proponents of the ward system felt that it would ensure diversity on the board, while opponents argued that it would lead to divisiveness and lack of city-wide accountability.

A local advocacy group, Better Together Norfolk, began circulating petitions in an effort to convince the city council to repeal the ward-based system and use a hybrid system in its place. The hybrid system would include candidates that reside in specific geographic districts within the school district, but would be voted on by all the residents of the district. As of March 2016, the city council had maintained its stance on the ward-based system for the school board.

Want to see how this election related to state and national trends on this topic? Ballotpedia tracked this issue in the 2016 election cycle so you can see the connections and impact on this race in context.

Click here for The Bite on this topic.

Budgeting for education in Norfolk

School districts in Virginia are always dependent on the larger local government jurisdiction that encompasses them. In this case, Norfolk Public Schools is financially dependent upon the city and cannot levy taxes or issue debt. The school district recommends a budget to the city council, but the council remains the final authority on the district's finances. The shift to an elected school board system did not change the underlying powers of either the city council or the school board members.

2016–2017 budgeting

Superintendent Melinda Boone

The school board submitted a $327 million spending plan to the city council for the 2016–2017 school year, a $10 million increase from the 2015–2016 fiscal year. While the city will not finalize its budget until June 2017, the proposed budget projected expenses of over $374 million for the coming fiscal year.

The original budget proposal came from newly hired superintendent Melinda Boone. Her version of the budget proposal included a 2 percent raise for all full-time staff and would have cut some instructional positions in reading and math, as well as clerical positions in the central office. Boone's proposed budget included approximately $11 million more in spending and only $3 million more in revenue than the previous year's budget, leaving an $8.6 million deficit.

Parents and staff got the opportunity to share their thoughts on the proposed budget at a public hearing on March 9, 2016. More than a dozen people spoke at the hearing. The biggest concerns were staff raises and equitable funding for academic programs. Most critics of the proposed budget felt that the 2 percent staff raise was not enough to battle teacher attrition. There were also suggestions to increase funding for gifted education in the district.

After reviewing Boone's proposed budget and listening to comments at the public hearing, the school board unanimously approved a revised proposed budget on March 23, 2016. The revised version of the budget proposal increased the staff raise to 3 percent and maintained the math and reading instructional positions that were cut in the first budget proposal. The budget was passed to the city council for approval, where was considered during the city's overall budget for the 2016–2017 fiscal year.

2016 elections

See also: Municipal elections in Norfolk, Virginia (2016) and Norfolk Public Schools elections (2016)

Education funding and reputation concerns in mayoral and city council races

The theme of education was no surprise in the Super Ward 6 race; Warren Stewart resigned from the city's school board specifically to run in this year's council election against incumbent Barclay Winn. Stewart, a former superintendent, did not have a monopoly on the topic, however, as many other candidates expressed concern over the city's education reputation at candidate forums. On March 10, 2016, the Crossroads Civic League hosted a candidate forum at Pretlow Library, where candidates remarked on the state of education in the city.

One of Better Together Norfolk's members, Andria McClellan, also ran in the Super Ward 6 City Council race. McClellan was outspoken against the city council's decision to create a purely ward-based school board in 2015. Writing on behalf of Better Together Norfolk, she stated in an op-ed piece, "we believe this citywide accountability and geographic representation will best ensure that we have the most effective School Board and provide the best school system for our children."

She included the structure of the new school board elections in her city council candidacy platform, stating:

“	When Norfolk voted for an elected school board, it signaled that citizens wanted a school board that was more accountable to the citizens, not less. Last year, I led an initiative called Better Together Norfolk. Alongside the Norfolk Federation of Teachers, Norfolk GAINS and other concerned citizens and community leaders, we gained 1250 petition signatures to ask City Council to reconsider their decision to elect our School Board members in a ward system. Instead, we requested a hybrid system like the one in place in Virginia Beach. Have residency requirements, but elect at an at-large basis – which would hold school board members accountable to all citizens, not just a select few. If elected, I promise to revisit this issue and work to ensure we have citywide accountability in future school board elections.	”
—Andria McClellan's campaign website (2016)

McClellan also emphasized her experience as a district parent in the discussion. She called for an improved volunteer system in the district and broader use of a free virtual-learning program used in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Stewart highlighted his experience on the school board and as a district administrator. He focused on the impact of poverty on the city's schools, arguing that students should attend school more (weekends and summer) to address the related issues. Incumbent Winn argued that the city's elected officials should champion the district's successes while also addressing its issues.

Mayoral candidates Kenny Alexander and Andrew Protogyrou both called for prekindergarten programs to address the impacts of poverty on the district. Alexander also emphasized technical education. According to The Virginian-Pilot, Robert McCabe "said the council should insist on more results even though the School Board – not the council – runs the schools." Indeed, voters were able to directly impact the governance of the city's schools by voting on the two school board seats up for election alongside the city council elections in May.