There will be a special election this November with a write-in candidate opportunity to serve as the Nelson County School Board Trustee for the Central District.
Former trustee David Francis has relocated and resigned his term effective July 31, leaving Jackie Britt, Registrar, without the required time for printing names on the November ballot.
The first Nelson County School Board meeting for this year was held August 8 without a Central District representative. The school board then placed an announcement in the Nelson County Times and their website to invite qualified applicants to complete the unexpired term, according to Dr. Martha Eagle, Superintendent. Two qualified applications for the role of interim Central District Trustee were received and reviewed at a public hearing on August 29.
The two applicants were Doris Bibb and Rick Herbert, both former teachers. Bibb is a recipient of the Smyth Award in Education and retired from Nelson County Public Schools in 2019 after teaching for 43 years.
Earlier this year, a similar issue occurred when Debbie Harvey resigned her East District seat. That interim seat was filled by the Board’s appointment of George Cheape, whose name will appear on the ballot for the East District in November 5.
The Central District election is also November 5th and the deadline for signatures required for a candidate name to appear on the ballot has passed. Any voter in the Central District is eligible to receive votes through the write-in candidate process. Residency in the Central District includes both Nellysford and Faber.
The School Board voted in closed session during the regular September 12 meeting to choose Doris Bibb as interim Central District Trustee. Bibb earned her master’s degree in art history from University of Virginia and as a certified K-12 teacher has most of her teaching experience at Rockfish River Elementary and Nelson Middle Schools. Bibb said she is not the sort to sit out her retirement and wants to be useful. She began her service on the board by attending a Virginia School Board Association Conference and is interested to combine efforts with neighboring counties that will help meet the needs of students and teachers who “wear multiple hats,” Bibb said.
Margaret Clair, a Faber resident and parent of three, served as Central District School Board Trustee for the term prior to David Francis. Clair now works with the Nelson County Community Development Foundation and will seek re-election as a write-in candidate for the Central District this November.
