Whitney McGinniss
2023 - Present
2026
2
Whitney McGinniss is a member of the DeKalb County School District school board in Georgia, representing District 2. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026.
McGinniss ran for election to the DeKalb County School District school board to represent District 2 in Georgia. She won in the general runoff election on June 21, 2022.
McGinniss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Whitney McGinniss was born in Tallahassee, Florida. She earned an associate degree from Tallahassee Community College in 2004, a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in 2007, and a graduate degree from Georgia State University in 2015. Her career experience includes working as a grants manager for Atlanta Legal Aid Society and Partnership Against Domestic Violence. McGinniss also serves as an officer on her neighborhood's civic association and as an elected member of the Druid Hills Middle School Principal's Advisory Committee.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: DeKalb County School District, Georgia, elections (2022)
General runoff election
General runoff election for DeKalb County School District school board District 2
Whitney McGinniss defeated Candice McKinley in the general runoff election for DeKalb County School District school board District 2 on June 21, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Whitney McGinniss (Nonpartisan)  | 57.4 | 3,253 |
 | Candice McKinley (Nonpartisan) | 42.6 | 2,412 | |
| Total votes: 5,665 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for DeKalb County School District school board District 2
Candice McKinley and Whitney McGinniss advanced to a runoff. They defeated Steven Bowden and Wendy Hamilton in the general election for DeKalb County School District school board District 2 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Candice McKinley (Nonpartisan) | 29.4 | 4,096 |
| ✔ | | Whitney McGinniss (Nonpartisan) | 27.7 | 3,854 |
| Steven Bowden (Nonpartisan) | 23.6 | 3,295 | ||
| Wendy Hamilton (Nonpartisan) | 19.3 | 2,691 | ||
| Total votes: 13,936 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Whitney McGinniss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McGinniss' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I am a mother, with two students enrolled in DeKalb County Schools. I am an active PTA member, and currently serve on the Druid Hills Middle School Principal’s Advisory Council. My husband, who shares my passion for public service and education, works as a scientist for CDC's Division of Scientific Education and Workforce Development.
I believe that a strong public school system is vital to the health of our economy and our democracy. As a parent, I have seen that DeKalb County Schools is often not up to the task of educating and ensuring the safety of our children. I have worked closely with neighborhood leaders, local news outlets, elected officials, and the current school board to find workable solutions to the problems that affect our children. I believe in listening to the concerns and priorities of community members, teachers, and students to find the best path forward.- Many of the school buildings in District 2 and throughout the county are in terrible condition as a result of years of neglect by the school district. Our students cannot learn safely or effectively if heating and air conditioning systems are broken, toilets won't flush, and in the presence of lead paint. I have spent the past 3 years working with the school district to make our school buildings safer and more conducive to learning, and I will continue that work if elected.
- COVID-19 took a huge toll on our communities, and while our young people avoided some of its worst physical effects, data is already showing that our year of virtual learning negatively impacted many of our students, including their educational, social, and emotional development. These impacts were not spread evenly across our community, with students from historically disadvantaged groups often falling the farthest. I believe a top priority of the district should be to give students the opportunity to make up for the impact COVID-19 had on their learning by expanding the availability of after-school, weekend, and summer learning opportunities, and prioritizing those services to students who struggled most during the pandemic.
- DeKalb County’s institutions and leaders have not always been committed to serving the interests of its citizens. Our community still carries the scars from the scandals that have plagued DeKalb County. One of my top duties will be to earn back your trust. I will do this by communicating openly and honestly with parents and the community about the challenges we face. I will engage with constituents by visiting schools, hosting parent meetings, and sharing on social media. I am committed to holding the district accountable. I understand the frustration of being told an issue will be addressed, only to find that months or years later that nothing has changed. The district must honor its commitments and promises.
As we move beyond COVID-19, it is important to acknowledge that our children have suffered emotionally, socially, and academically over the last two years. I will push for programs designed to address the student wellness and academic gaps created by COVID-19. I will prioritize in-person leaning, ensuring that our schools are safe for students and teachers.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion*
With students from over 155 countries, DCSD is one of the most diverse districts in the nation. Our diversity is one of our unique gifts, but it presents special challenges. I believe all children deserve the opportunity to succeed, regardless their zip code, race, ethnicity, household income, LGBTQ+ identity, immigration or disability status.
- Building Construction and Maintenance*
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate DeKalb County School District school board District 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 29, 2022.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Marshall Orson |
DeKalb County School District school board District 2 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
.svg.png){kind=small}
