Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Virginia, elections
| Spotsylvania County Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 7 |
| Students: 24,201 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 34 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Spotsylvania County Public Schools is a school district in Virginia (Spotsylvania County). During the 2023 school year, 24,201 students attended one of the district's 34 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District
Jordan J. Lynch and Belen Katherine Rodas ran in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
 | Jordan J. Lynch (Independent) | |
| Belen Katherine Rodas (Independent) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District
Carol Huebner Medawar and David Ross ran in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Carol Huebner Medawar (Independent) | |
| David Ross (Independent) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District
Megan K. Jackson, Kirk E. Twigg, and Alexander Anthony Zuponeck-Carlson ran in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Megan K. Jackson (Independent) | |
| Kirk E. Twigg (Independent) | |
| Alexander Anthony Zuponeck-Carlson (Independent) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District
Lorita C. Daniels and Chris M. Harris ran in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Lorita C. Daniels (Independent) | |
| Chris M. Harris (Independent) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Battlefield District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Battlefield District
Incumbent Baron Braswell won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Battlefield District on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Baron Braswell (Nonpartisan) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Berkeley District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Berkeley District
Incumbent Erin Grampp won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Berkeley District on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Erin Grampp (Nonpartisan) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Lee Hill District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Lee Hill District
Incumbent Lisa Phelps won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Lee Hill District on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Lisa Phelps (Nonpartisan) | |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District
Incumbent Dawn Shelley won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Chancellor District on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Dawn Shelley (Nonpartisan) |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District
Incumbent James Meyer won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Courtland District on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | James Meyer (Nonpartisan) |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District
Incumbent Kirk Twigg won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Livingston District on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Kirk Twigg (Nonpartisan) |
| 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. | ||||
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District
General election
General election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District
Incumbent William Blaine Jr. won election in the general election for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Salem District on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | William Blaine Jr. (Nonpartisan) |
| 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. | ||||
Election rules
Election dates and frequency
Most county boards of education have elections in odd-numbered years either every two years or every four years. As of 2022, elections in all but one county — Arlington County — were off-cycle from federal elections. They are held at the same time as the state's odd-year state legislative and gubernatorial elections. There are 91 county school districts in Virginia. The Arlington County School Board holds elections every year.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 15.2
The elections for most city and town school boards are held during even-numbered years and are on-cycle with federal elections. There are several cities that hold school board elections in odd-numbered years or annually. Details of city and town school board elections are largely set in local charters. There are 41 municipal school districts in Virginia.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1-57.3
Election system
School board members in Virginia are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Virginia are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Virginia state law requires that school board candidates qualify for the ballot through the petition process for independent candidates. It does not allow school board candidates to qualify for the ballot as party nominees. This means that all school board candidates in Virginia are listed as independent in the secretary of state's official candidate list. On the ballot, the names of candidates are displayed without any party affiliation or additional disclosure of any kind. There is no route in state law for a school board candidate to be listed on the ballot with a party affiliation.
See law: Virginia Statutes Sections 22.1. Education and 24.1. Elections
Winning an election
School board candidates that receive the largest number of votes in the nonpartisan general election are elected to office.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Term length and staggering
The length of school board member terms depends on the terms of the members of the relevant county, city, or town governing body. As of 2022, most school districts (121 or 91.7%) had 4-year school board terms. Ten school districts had 3-year board member terms.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
School board seat elections are either not staggered or staggered in a way that depends on the organization of the district and the relevant county, city, or town prior to the referendum establishing elected board members; special act; or local charter. State law has special provisions concerning the staggering of school board elections in Bath, Loudoun, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, and Rockbridge Counties.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School members are elected at large, from sub-districts, or through a combination of the two.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates must file declarations of candidacy by 7:00 pm on the third Tuesday in June.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 24.1. Elections
School board candidates cannot circulate nominating petitions until after the first day of January of the year of the election.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 24.1. Elections
Newly elected school board members officially take office on the first day of January following their election.
About the district
School board
Spotsylvania County Public Schools consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| April Gillespie | Berkeley District | ||
| Nicole Cole | Battlefield District | ||
| Lorita Daniels | Salem District | 2027 | |
| Belen Rodas | Chancellor District | 2023 | 2027 |
| Megan Jackson | Livingston District | 2023 | 2027 |
| Carol Medawar | Courtland District | 2023 | 2027 |
| Lisa Phelps | Lee Hill District | 2018 | 2025 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $40,675,000 | $1,767 | 12% |
| Local: | $148,331,000 | $6,442 | 43% |
| State: | $156,897,000 | $6,814 | 45% |
| Total: | $345,903,000 | $15,023 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $307,831,000 | $13,369 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $290,943,000 | $12,635 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $170,130,000 | $7,388 | 55% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $42,695,000 | $1,854 | 14% |
| Administration: | $25,264,000 | $1,097 | 8% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $52,854,000 | $2,295 | 17% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $8,839,000 | $383 | |
| Construction: | $7,576,000 | $329 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $901,000 | $39 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $7,148,000 | $310 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 54 | 67 | 40 | 43 | 40-59 | 54 | 62 |
| 2018-2019 | 79 | 88 | 68 | 74 | 80-89 | 77 | 84 |
| 2016-2017 | 72 | 82 | 60 | 69 | 70-79 | 72 | 76 |
| 2015-2016 | 79 | 89 | 68 | 75 | 70-79 | 79 | 83 |
| 2014-2015 | 79 | 88 | 68 | 74 | 70-79 | 77 | 83 |
| 2013-2014 | 72 | 86 | 60 | 66 | 60-69 | 70 | 76 |
| 2012-2013 | 70 | 82 | 56 | 64 | 50-59 | 67 | 74 |
| 2011-2012 | 69 | 82 | 54 | 62 | 60-69 | 68 | 74 |
| 2010-2011 | 87 | 93 | 78 | 85 | 80-89 | 86 | 90 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 71 | 75-79 | 60 | 59 | 60-79 | 72 | 79 |
| 2018-2019 | 75 | 83 | 64 | 67 | 70-79 | 72 | 82 |
| 2017-2018 | 78 | 90 | 67 | 70 | 60-79 | 76 | 84 |
| 2016-2017 | 79 | 88 | 67 | 73 | >=80 | 77 | 84 |
| 2015-2016 | 78 | 88 | 67 | 70 | 60-79 | 77 | 84 |
| 2014-2015 | 78 | 86 | 66 | 71 | 80-89 | 75 | 82 |
| 2013-2014 | 73 | 82 | 61 | 64 | 60-69 | 71 | 78 |
| 2012-2013 | 73 | 82 | 59 | 62 | 60-69 | 71 | 79 |
| 2011-2012 | 90 | 93 | 83 | 86 | 80-89 | 88 | 92 |
| 2010-2011 | 88 | 90 | 81 | 85 | >=90 | 87 | 91 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 88 | 80-89 | 86 | 75-79 | PS | >=95 | 92 |
| 2018-2019 | 89 | 90-94 | 84 | 75-79 | PS | 85-89 | 94 |
| 2017-2018 | 88 | >=90 | 86 | 75-79 | >=50 | 85-89 | 90 |
| 2016-2017 | 88 | >=90 | 85 | 80-84 | PS | 85-89 | 91 |
| 2015-2016 | 86 | 80-89 | 82 | 80-84 | 88 | ||
| 2014-2015 | 88 | >=90 | 83 | 85-89 | 89 | ||
| 2013-2014 | 87 | >=90 | 84 | 80-84 | 88 | ||
| 2012-2013 | 85 | 80-89 | 81 | 75-79 | 87 | ||
| 2011-2012 | 83 | 80-89 | 80 | 80-84 | 85 | ||
| 2010-2011 | 82 | 79 | 75-79 | 83 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 24,201 | 1.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 23,770 | 3.1 |
| 2020-2021 | 23,025 | -3.7 |
| 2019-2020 | 23,882 | 0.9 |
| 2018-2019 | 23,668 | -0.5 |
| 2017-2018 | 23,794 | 0.8 |
| 2016-2017 | 23,597 | -0.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 23,731 | -0.7 |
| 2014-2015 | 23,887 | 0.2 |
| 2013-2014 | 23,838 | 0.3 |
| 2012-2013 | 23,768 | -0.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 23,817 | 1.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 23,585 | -2.0 |
| 2009-2010 | 24,062 | -0.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 24,116 | -0.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 24,304 | 0.7 |
| 2006-2007 | 24,140 | 1.7 |
| 2005-2006 | 23,736 | 3.3 |
| 2004-2005 | 22,948 | 3.8 |
| 2003-2004 | 22,075 | 3.1 |
| 2002-2003 | 21,391 | 5.2 |
| 2001-2002 | 20,280 | 6.9 |
| 2000-2001 | 18,876 | 4.4 |
| 1999-2000 | 18,043 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Spotsylvania County Public Schools (%) | Virginia K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.3 | 7.5 |
| Black | 19.2 | 21.6 |
| Hispanic | 23.1 | 18.7 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 8.4 | 6.7 |
| White | 45.6 | 45.0 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Spotsylvania County Public Schools had 1,592.25 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.2.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 47.50 |
| Kindergarten: | 79.00 |
| Elementary: | 616.00 |
| Secondary: | 849.75 |
| Total: | 1,592.25 |
Spotsylvania County Public Schools employed 39.00 district administrators and 71.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 39.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 92.50 |
| School Administrators: | 71.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 90.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 561.25 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 157.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 75.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 32.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 43.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 32.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 14.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 261.75 |
| Other Support Services: | 439.50 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Virginia
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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