Virginia Beach City Public Schools elections (2014)

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2014 Virginia Beach City Public Schools Elections

* * *

General Election date:
November 4, 2014
Table of Contents
About the district
Method of election
Elections
What was at stake?
Key deadlines
Additional elections
External links
See also
Virginia
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Local ballot measures, Virginia

Six seats on the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. The districts of Bayside, Beach, Lynnhaven and Princess Anne were up for re-election, in addition to two at-large seats.

For the at-large seats, incumbents Dorothy Holtz and Robert Melatti sought re-election against four challengers. They were Alvenia Leboeuf, Ashley McLeod, Gregg O’Neil and Osmay Torres.

In the Bayside (District 4) race, incumbent Carolyn Weems faced challenger Clenise Platt. In the Beach (District 6) race, incumbent Samuel Reid competed against Sharon Felton. Lynnhaven (District 5) incumbent Emma L. Davis did not file for re-election; three candidates sought her seat. They were Michael Kelly, Carolyn Rye and Gregory Strangways. Two candidates, Kimberly Melnyk and Frances Thompson challenged incumbent William Brunke for the Princess Anne (District 7) seat.

Holtz and McLeod won election to the at-large seats. Weems, Felton, Rye and Melnyk won their respective district seats.

## Contents

* 1 About the district
* 1.1 Demographics
* 2 Voter and candidate information
* 3 Elections
* 3.1 2014
* 3.1.1 Candidates
* 4 At-large (two seats)
* 5 Bayside (District 4)
* 6 Beach (District 6)
* 7 Lynnhaven (District 5)
* 8 Princess Anne (District 7)
* 8.1 Election results
* 8.2 Endorsements
* 8.3 Campaign finance
* 8.4 Past elections
* 8.4.1 2012
* 8.4.2 2010
* 8.5 What was at stake?
* 8.5.1 Issues in the election
* 8.5.1.1 Bribery claims
* 8.6 Key deadlines
* 8.7 Additional elections on the ballot
* 8.8 Recent news
* 8.9 See also
* 8.10 External links
* 8.11 Footnotes

## About the district[edit]

See also: Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Virginia Beach was home to 437,994 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, Virginia Beach City Public Schools was the third-largest school district in Virginia and served 70,978 students.[2]

### Demographics[edit]

Virginia Beach City underperformed in comparison to the rest of Virginia in terms of higher education achievement and median household income in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 32.3 percent of Virginia Beach City residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 34.7 percent for Virginia as a whole. The median household income in Virginia Beach City was $65,980 compared to $63,636 for the state of Virginia. The poverty rate in Virginia Beach City was 7.4 percent compared to 11.1 percent for the entire state.[1]

|  Racial Demographics, 2013[1]

Race  | Virginia Beach City (%)  | Virginia (%)
White | 67.7 | 68.6
Black or African American | 19.6 | 19.4
American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4 | 0.4
Asian | 6.1 | 5.5
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.1
Two or More Races | 4.0 | 2.9
Hispanic or Latino | 6.6 | 7.9

|  Presidential Voting Pattern[3]

Year  | Democratic Vote (%)  | Republican Vote (%)
2012 | 48.0 | 50.5
2008 | 49.1 | 49.8
2004 | 40.2 | 59.1
2000 | 41.6 | 55.9

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.

## Voter and candidate information[edit]

The Virginia Beach School Board consists of eleven members that serve staggered four-year terms. Three members are elected at-large, and eight members are elected by specific geographic district. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on November 4, 2014. Six seats, including two at-large seats, were up for election in 2014.[4]

The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in this election was August 15, 2014.[4]

## Elections[edit]

### 2014[edit]

#### Candidates[edit]

# At-large (two seats)[edit]

* Dorothy Holtz
* Incumbent
* Graduate, Fordham University and Old Dominion University
* Retired educator
* Alvenia Leboeuf
* Retired instructional specialist
* Ashley McLeod
* Graduate, Indiana University
* Communications and membership director, Virginia Maritime Association
* Robert Melatti
* Incumbent
* Graduate, Old Dominion University
* Program director, Beachevents
* Gregg O’Neil
* Graduate, Salem University and Troy University
* Lieutenant, Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office
* Osmay Torres
* Veteran, United States Navy
* Graduate, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Regent University and Florida State University
* Continuous Improvement Manager, LifeNet Health

# Bayside (District 4)[edit]

* Clenise Platt
* Graduate, The College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University
* Financial consultant
* Carolyn Weems
* Incumbent
* Graduate, Clemson University
* Volunteer, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

# Beach (District 6)[edit]

* Sharon Felton
* Staff, Old Dominion University's Perry Research Library
* Samuel Reid
* Incumbent
* Veteran, United States Navy
* Committee member, Virginia Beach Transit Extension Study Citizens Advisory Committee, the Headquarters Hotels Taskforce and the Oceana Land Use Conformity Committee

# Lynnhaven (District 5)[edit]

* Michael Kelly
* Clinical associate professor, Virginia Tech
* Carolyn Rye
* Graduate, The College of William and Mary and Fairleigh Dickinson University
* Substitute teacher, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
* Gregory Strangways
* Graduate, Virginia Tech and the University of Richmond
* Director, LifeNet Health

# Princess Anne (District 7)[edit]

* William Brunke
* Incumbent
* Graduate, Dominican College of Blauvelt
* Certified public accountant
* Kimberly Melnyk
* Graduate, Longwood University
* Former educator and current volunteer, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
* Part owner, Premier Millwork and Lumber Company
* Frances Thompson
* Graduate, Hampton University and Old Dominion University
* Retired educator and counselor

#### Election results[edit]

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Dorothy Holtz Incumbent | 24.8% | 34,749
| Nonpartisan  | Ashley McLeod | 22% | 30,823
| Nonpartisan  |  Robert Melatti Incumbent | 20.1% | 28,261
| Nonpartisan  |  Alvenia Leboeuf | 12.9% | 18,146
| Nonpartisan  |  Osmay Torres | 11.1% | 15,528
| Nonpartisan  |  Gregg O’Neil | 8.7% | 12,182
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 579
Total Votes | 140,268
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Bayside District General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Carolyn Weems Incumbent | 67% | 53,625
| Nonpartisan  |  Clenise Platt | 32.7% | 26,160
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.3% | 273
Total Votes | 80,058
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Beach District General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Sharon Felton | 60.6% | 47,325
| Nonpartisan  |  Samuel Reid Incumbent | 39% | 30,408
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 297
Total Votes | 78,030
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Lynnhaven District General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Carolyn Rye | 43.9% | 33,493
| Nonpartisan  |  Michael Kelly | 43.6% | 33,271
| Nonpartisan  |  Gregory Strangways | 12.1% | 9,242
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 274
Total Votes | 76,280
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Princess Anne District General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Kimberly Melnyk | 37.6% | 29,379
| Nonpartisan  |  William Brunke Incumbent | 36% | 28,147
| Nonpartisan  |  Frances Thompson | 26% | 20,301
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 276
Total Votes | 78,103
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, "Official Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

#### Endorsements[edit]

The Virginia Beach Education Association PACE (Political Action Committee of Educators) endorsed incumbent Dorothy Holtz and Alvenia Leboeuf for the at-large seat, Clenise Platt for the Bayside (District 4) seat, Sharon Felton for the Beach (District 6) seat, Carolyn Rye for the Lynnhaven (District 5) seat and Kimberly Melnyk for the Princess Anne (District 7) seat.[5]

In an October 22, 2014, editorial by The Virginian-Pilot, the staff endorsed incumbent Robert Melatti and Osmay Torres for the at-large seats, incumbent Carolyn Weems for Bayside (District 4), Sharon Felton for Beach (District 6), Michael Kelly for Lynnhaven (District 5) and incumbent William Brunke for Princess Anne (District 7).[6]

#### Campaign finance[edit]

Candidates received a total of $85,316.86 and spent a total of $56,562.86, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections.[7]

In the at-large race, candidates received a total of $36,109.31 and spent a total of $22,832.16.

Candidate  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|

Dorothy Holtz | $2,500.00  | $258.00  | $2,242.00
Alvenia Leboeuf | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00
Ashley McLeod | $7,469.82  | $5,486.72  | $1,983.10
Robert Melatti | $15,859.00  | $7,493.66  | $8,365.34
Gregg O’Neil | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00
Osmay Torres | $10,280.49  | $9,593.78  | $686.71

In the Bayside (District 4) race, candidates received a total of $5,009.00 and spent a total of $5,001.42.

Candidate  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|

Clenise Platt | $5,009.00  | $5,001.42  | $7.58
Carolyn Weems | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00

In the Beach (District 6) race, candidates received a total of $3,174.34 and spent a total of $3,029.56.

Candidate  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|

Sharon Felton | $3,174.34  | $3,029.56  | $144.78
Samuel Reid | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00

In the Lynnhaven (District 5) race, candidates received a total of $15,831.99 and spent a total of $8,044.02.

Candidate  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|

Michael Kelly | $10,418.00  | $5,874.46  | $4,543.54
Carolyn Rye | $1,913.99  | $1,232.22  | $681.77
Gregory Strangways | $3,500.00  | $937.34  | $2,562.66

In the Princess Anne (District 7) race, candidates received a total of $25,192.22 and spent a total of $17,655.70.

Candidate  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|

William Brunke | $21,642.22  | $16,069.10  | $5,573.12
Kimberly Melnyk | $3,550.00  | $1,586.60  | $1,963.40
Frances Thompson | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00

### Past elections[edit]

Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

|

#### 2012

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2012 | Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Independent  | Beverly M. Anderson | 18.6% | 45,165
| Independent  | Elizabeth E. Taylor | 17.2% | 41,943
| Independent  |  Ashley McLeod Incumbent | 15.9% | 38,731
| Independent  |  Sharon R. Felton  | 13.5% | 32,820
| Independent  |  D. Scott Seery Incumbent | 13.2% | 32,210
| Independent  |  Stephen A. Johnston  | 6% | 14,541
| Independent  |  Alex F. Kalasinsky  | 6% | 14,510
| Independent  |  J. Michael Camden  | 5.5% | 13,359
| Independent  |  Sidney T. Moore  | 3.8% | 9,153
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 996
Total Votes | 243,428
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 6, 2012 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, At-Large Special Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Independent  | Robert Melatti | 56.4% | 77,116
| Independent  |  Stephen F. Randolph  | 43.1% | 58,985
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.5% | 658
Total Votes | 136,759
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 6, 2012 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Centerville General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Independent  | Leonard C. Tengco | 54.7% | 73,795
| Independent  |  Eric Wray Jr.  | 44.9% | 60,659
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 531
Total Votes | 134,985
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 6, 2012 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Kempsville General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Independent  | Daniel D. Edwards | 99.1% | 127,058
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.9% | 1,126
Total Votes | 128,184
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 6, 2012 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Rose Hall General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Independent  | Joel McDonald Jr. | 59.8% | 79,764
| Independent  |  Chris D. Arney  | 39.8% | 53,058
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 468
Total Votes | 133,290
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 6, 2012 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

#### 2010

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | Dorothy Holtz | 36.8% | 46,369
| Independent  |  Todd Davidson  | 34.1% | 43,070
| Independent  |  D.S. Seery  | 28.6% | 36,072
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.5% | 640
Total Votes | 126,151
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, At-Large Special Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | Ashley McLeod | 71.3% | 60,298
| Independent  |  G. Waugh  | 28.3% | 23,905
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 367
Total Votes | 84,570
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Bayside General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | Carolyn Weems | 69.4% | 61,013
| Independent  |  C. Banks Jr.  | 30.4% | 26,743
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.2% | 214
Total Votes | 87,970
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Beach General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | Samuel Reid | 99.2% | 75,015
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.8% | 594
Total Votes | 75,609
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Lynnhaven General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | Emma Davis | 99.2% | 938
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.8% | 8
Total Votes | 946
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Lynnhaven General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Independent  | William Brunke | 99.2% | 881
| Independent  |  Write-in votes  | 0.8% | 7
Total Votes | 888
Source: Virginia Beach, Virginia, "November 2010 General and Special Elections," accessed October 14, 2014

## What was at stake?[edit]

### Issues in the election[edit]

#### Bribery claims[edit]

During a radio show on October 20, 2014, Princess Anne candidate Kimberly Melnyk claimed that three elected officials, including opponent William Brunke, bribed her with committee assignments and money to drop out of the race. She also mentioned Board Chairman Dan Edwards, but refused to name the third person. Brunke strongly denied the claims, saying that they had a conversation in July 2014, where Melnyk mentioned dropping out but that she wanted to get more involved in the community; Melnyk, however, denies telling Brunke that she ever wanted to drop out of the race. Upon being asked if Melnyk ever specifically mentioned dropping out, Brunke answered, "You know, we’re talking about a relatively benign conversation that took place four months ago. I just don’t have a minute by minute recollection of exactly what words were used and where.” Edwards said that he had met with all the board candidates to discuss ways they can serve the district if they aren't elected, but said he never offered appointments or money.[8]

## Key deadlines[edit]

The following dates are key deadlines for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools election in 2014:[4]

Deadline  | Event

|

August 15, 2014 | Filing deadline for candidates
October 14, 2014 | Voter registration deadline
November 4, 2014 | General election

## Additional elections on the ballot[edit]

See also: Virginia elections, 2014

This election shared the ballot with general elections for U.S. House seats and one U.S. Senate seat. It also shared the ballot with other county and municipal elections.[9]

## Recent news[edit]

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Virginia + Beach + City + Public + Schools + Virginia"

Virginia Beach City Public Schools News Feed

## See also[edit]

* Virginia
* Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia
* Virginia school board elections, 2014
* List of school board elections in 2014
* School board elections, 2014
* Local ballot measures, Virginia

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Virginia Beach City Public Schools
* City of Virginia Beach
* Virginia Department of Elections

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Virginia Beach, Virginia," accessed August 14, 2014
2. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed August 14, 2014
3. ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "Election Results," accessed August 14, 2014
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Virginia Beach City, "Candidates List for General Election," accessed August 14, 2014
5. ↑ Virginia Beach Education Association, "Endorsed Candidates," accessed October 21, 2014
6. ↑ The Virginian-Pilot, "Our picks for Beach school board," October 22, 2014
7. ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed October 21, 2014
8. ↑ WAVY.com, "Candidate claims bribery in Va. Beach school board race," October 23, 2014
9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `deadlines`

2014 Virginia Beach City Public Schools Elections

Virginia Beach, Virginia
Election date:| November 4, 2014
Candidates:| At-large: • Incumbent, Dorothy Holtz • Incumbent, Robert Melatti • Alvenia Leboeuf • Ashley McLeod • Gregg O’Neil • Osmay Torres

Bayside (District 4): • Incumbent, Carolyn Weems • Clenise Platt
Beach (District 6): • Incumbent, Samuel Reid • Sharon Felton
Lynnhaven (District 5): • Michael Kelly • Carolyn Rye • Gregory Strangways

Princess Anne (District 7): • Incumbent, William Brunke • Kimberly Melnyk • Frances Thompson

Important information:| What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot

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