THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
COURTHOUSE — Kim Melnyk, a Christopher Farms resident who first joined the Virginia Beach School Board as a challenger four years ago, won reelection in the Princess Anne District on Tuesday, Nov. 6, according to unofficial returns.
Melnyk faced a challenge from Paul Day of West Neck Commons, a retired city police officer and one of the founding directors of VB Spark Education Association, which has been critical of the superintendent.
“It just means the people love our schools, and they love what we’re doing every day for every student,” Melnyk said during a telephone interview on Election Night.
Melnyk sought reelection in support of the board’s decisions, including advancing all-day kindergarten, and the work of Superintendent Aaron Spence. She also has said she supports better teacher salaries and improved school safety.
Her opponent had pledged to improve school safety, teacher salaries and student discipline.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7, Day in an interview said he thought his candidacy had been hurt because voters were led to believe those backed by the The Virginia Beach Education Association Political Action Committee of Educators, such as his opponent, had the support of all teachers.
Day said he was grateful to the voters and supporters of the campaign, and said his race was focused on improving the city schools.
“I said to myself I might not run again, but who knows?” Day said. “You know what? Fifty-one thousand nine-hundred seventy-seven people agreed with me.”
Melnyk won 78,398 votes, or 59.7 percent.
The Princess Anne District is the main coverage area of The Independent News. Information on the other School Board races follows. This is based upon unofficial returns as updated by state election officials on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Overall, it was a good day for incumbents. All who ran will return to the board.
► Incumbent Dottie Holtz, a retired educator who has served on the board since 2010, will return after winning 30 percent of the vote in a field of five candidates seeking the two at-large seats. She will be joined by newcomer Laura King Hughes, an attorney.
► Carolyn Weems, who joined the board in 2002 in an at-large seat, won reelection in the Bayside District she has represented since 2009 without opposition.
► In the Beach District, incumbent Sharon Felton, a librarian specialist at Old Dominion University from Seatack, defeated challenger Kendra Edwards, an electronics craftsman from Oceana Gardens West.
► Incumbent Carolyn Rye won reelection to a second term representing the Lynnhaven District, defeating challenger Mary Watson Wales, a retired teacher.
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