The Virginia Beach School Board members are eleven elected officials who govern Virginia Beach City Public Schools: ten represent individual geographic districts, and one at-large member serves as chair of the board. Together they set policy, approve the annual budget, hire and evaluate the superintendent, and manage the division’s property and operations.
Who Sits on the Board
As of January 2025, Kathleen Brown chairs the board and Carolyn D. Weems serves as vice chair. The full roster:
- District 1: Rose Dwyer
- District 2: Kimberly A. Melnyk
- District 3: Mark Bohenstiel
- District 4: Dr. Alveta J. Green
- District 5: Melinda Rogers
- District 6: Michael Callan
- District 7: Matt Cummings
- District 8: David Culpepper
- District 9: Carolyn D. Weems (Vice Chair)
- District 10: Kathleen Brown (Chair)
- At-Large: Sharon Felton
District members represent a specific area of the city; the at-large member represents Virginia Beach as a whole.1Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Board Members – Virginia Beach School Board
How Members Are Elected
Before 2022, every school board seat in Virginia Beach was elected at large, meaning every voter in the city cast a ballot for every seat. The board now uses a district-based model: ten members each run in a specific geographic district, and only the chair’s seat remains citywide.
Members serve four-year terms on a staggered schedule, with elections every two years in November.2City of Virginia Beach. Elected Offices and Terms Roughly half the seats are up at each cycle, so the board never turns over all at once. New members are sworn in the following January.
What the Board Does
The school board’s day-to-day authority covers managing school division property, deciding the length of the school year, choosing curriculum, and setting conduct policies for students and staff.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 22.1-79 – Powers and Duties Financial oversight is a major piece of the workload: the board approves an annual operating budget covering teacher salaries, facility maintenance, transportation, and instructional technology.
Under Virginia law, each school board is a body corporate, which lets it enter contracts, hold and sell property, and sue or be sued in its own name.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 22.1-71 – School Board Constitutes Body Corporate; Corporate Powers That status is why the board can negotiate leases for temporary classroom space, purchase land for new schools, and sign vendor agreements without the city council signing off on each transaction.
The board also appoints the division superintendent from a list of eligible candidates certified by the Virginia Board of Education.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 22.1-60 – Appointment and Term of Superintendent; Certain Contractual Matters The superintendent runs the administrative staff and carries out board policy, and the board evaluates that performance annually.
Who Can Serve
A candidate must be a qualified voter and a genuine resident of the district they want to represent. If a member moves out of their district after being elected, the seat is automatically considered vacant.6Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 22.1-29 – Qualifications of Members The at-large seat is the exception: that candidate may live anywhere within city limits.
Virginia law prohibits anyone from holding two elected offices at the same time. Taking the oath for a second elected position automatically vacates the first.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 2.2-2807 – Prohibition Against Holding Two Elected Offices Simultaneously; Exceptions Separately, state and local government officers, their deputies, city council members, and school board employees are barred from serving on the school board, along with close family members of the local governing body.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 22.1-30 – Certain Officers May Not Act on School Board or Serve as Tie Breaker
How Vacancies Get Filled
When a seat opens mid-term through resignation, death, or a member moving out of the district, the remaining board members have 45 days to appoint a qualified voter from the affected district. At least seven days before the appointment, the board must hold a public meeting announcing the candidates being considered and making their resumes available for inspection.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-228 – Interim Appointment to Local Governing Body or Elected School Board
If the remaining members cannot agree, the circuit court judges for the city may step in and select the appointee. Either way, the appointed member serves only until voters fill the seat through a special election. If more than half of the seats are vacant at once, the remaining members lose the power to appoint, and all vacancies proceed directly to special election.
Contacting Members and Attending Meetings
The board meets at the Virginia Beach Schools Administration Building at 2512 George Mason Drive. Residents who want to speak at a meeting can sign up with the Clerk of the Board by noon on the day of a regular meeting.10Virginia Beach City Public Schools. School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Bylaw 1-47 – Public Comments at School Board Meetings Separate comment periods cover agenda items and general concerns, so specify which slot you need when signing up.
Each member has an official VBCPS email address listed on the school board website, and the Clerk of the Board accepts written correspondence. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted online for anyone tracking board decisions without attending in person.