While Roanoke County voters will see three unopposed races for the board of supervisors on the November ballot, the three races for school board are all contested.
In the Winsor Hills District, Ryan White is running against incumbent Cheryl Facciani. Amber Reed is running against incumbent Tim Greenway in the Vinton District, and in the Hollins District, Winter Schassberger is running against incumbent David Linden. All school board candidates run as independents, but may receive party endorsements.
White
Courtesy Dr. Ryan White
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Facciani, a retired speech language pathologist first elected in 2021, said previously she was running again to continue her work to boost student achievement. White, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Mindful Mountain Wellness Center, said he intends to serve as an advocate for vulnerable populations.
Reed is a lifelong Vinton resident and a teacher at Westside Elementary School in Roanoke. Her son is a recent graduate of William Byrd High School. Her experience as a public school teacher inspired her to run for office in the hopes to serve the broader school community beyond her classroom, she said in an email.
“I believe our school board should be transparent, responsive, and focused on students first,” she wrote. “I’ve seen firsthand how policies affect our classrooms, our teachers, and our families, and I want to bring that perspective into the boardroom.”
Reed believes it’s important that the voices of educators and community members be heard and considered during the decision making process. If elected, she would prioritize strengthening communication and trust between the board, parents and school staff, she said. Offering support for teachers and school staff, ensuring fiscal responsibility and “advocating for safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments for all students” are among her priorities as well, she said.
“I truly believe that when we listen to the community and work together, we can make our schools even stronger,” she wrote.
Greenway was first elected to the Roanoke County School Board in 2015. He would like to see the completion of the new Roanoke County Career and Technology Center and the renovations at Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools come to fruition, which is part of why he’s running for reelection, he said.
“We’ve got some unfinished projects that I’d like to see finished,” he said. “What a big accomplishment — $130 million in capital projects with three schools that we fought so hard to have done.”
Greenway
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He’d also like to see the school system’s apprenticeship program, which was started during his time on the board, grow through the new CTE center, he said. Continuing to build on the leadership and administration within the schools is another priority of his.
“We had good people when I came onto the board, but I feel we’ve strengthened our community and leadership over the time that I’ve been here,” he said.
“I’ve also worked hard to promote the salaries of our teachers and staff, and I think that will always be a guiding principle of me being on the board,” he added.
Schassberger announced her candidacy at a school board meeting on April 10. This is her first time running for the Roanoke County School Board.
“If elected, my main priorities would be improving the culture and climate in our schools by restoring collaborative relationships between educators and parents/guardians, providing transparency in communication, and implementing commonsense policies that put students first,” she wrote in an email.
Schassberger
She lives in Roanoke County and works as a teacher’s aide at Northview Preschool. She served a full four-year term as treasurer of the Mountain View Elementary PTA and was the PTA’s secretary for an additional year, according to her campaign website. She is a class parent and volunteers at the school as well.
“I believe that my experience as an involved parent in Roanoke County Public Schools and the relationships I’ve cultivated with other parents, teachers, and students throughout the county allow for me to bring about a needed change in the climate and culture within our school system,” she wrote.
Linden was initially elected to the Roanoke County School Board in 2017, and was reelected in 2021. His decision to run for reelection comes from his desire to help the school system continue as one of the leading school districts in Virginia, he said in an email.
Like Greenway, Linden would like to see the new CTE facility through to its completion. The facility, located in the Hollins District, will create workforce and economic development opportunities for “the next 25 plus years,” he said.
“Along with the two elementary schools undergoing significant renovations this board has made a strong commitment to upgrading our facilities and providing students with a warm and welcoming environment in which to learn,” he wrote.
Linden
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If reelected, Linden said he will continue to work to ensure that employees of Roanoke County Public Schools are among the highest compensated school employees in the region. He would also like to expand the apprenticeship program, create more opportunities for graduates to stay in the Roanoke Valley and reestablish a strong relationship with the county board of supervisors.
Meanwhile, for the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, the Republican trio of Phil North in the Hollins District, Tammy Shepherd in the Vinton District and David Radford in the Windsor Hills District are all uncontesed for reelection.