"Deceitful, slimy, tricky"?
Orange County School Board gets an earful in response to controversial decision
The Orange County School Board got schooled during its June 3 meeting at the Taylor Education Administration Complex in Orange. Two weeks after the board voted 3-2 to quit the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA), the opportunity to speak during public comment drew about 30 local residents, some of whom denounced what they perceived as a politically motivated move straight out of a far-right, Christian nationalist playbook.
There also were citizens who praised the majority and pointed out that board members Chelsea Quintern (District 4), Board Chair Melissa Anderson (District 1) and Vice Chair Darlene Dawson (District 2) were simply fulfilling the conservative agenda they promised voters during their campaigns. Others argued that the decision on May 20 was not the surprise move that some critics claimed, since the board has discussed the VSBA in past meetings.
No matter which side of the debate you’re on, it’s hard not to worry that the board’s decision may have put the county at risk. The school board no longer has the safety net provided by the VSBA. Except for Warren County, Orange County and Rockingham County as of June 10, all Virginia school boards belong to the VSBA, which identifies itself as nonpartisan (though its opponents don’t see it that way). The VSBA provided educational policy review, legal aid and other professional services to the Orange County School Board for less than $15,000 per year—a modest amount in the school system’s multimillion-dollar budget.
After the Warren County School Board quit the VSBA last year, it saw a sharp uptick in legal bills, largely because it has relied on one attorney to handle matters that the VSBA took care of in the past at much lower cost. Also relevant, Virginia’s school boards are required to use BoardDocs, a software program that organizes board documents in one place and allows the public to easily access them online. As a VSBA member, the Orange County School Board paid $3,000/year for BoardDocs in 2023-24. According to School Board Clerk Laura Byram, the cost to Orange County without the VSBA discount will now rise to $5,000 per year.
There are two relatively new organizations in Virginia that offer some of the services that the VSBA provides. The Noah Webster Educational Foundation and the School Board Members Alliance have found favor among some of the state’s Republican-aligned school board representatives. Of note: The chair of the School Board Members Alliance, Sherri Story, previously served on the Suffolk County School Board. During her time on that board, Story posted an ill-advised remark on social media that many interpreted as racist.
“Does that constitute a, a good, transparent, collaborative relationship?”
The Orange County School Board’s June 3 meeting drew a crowd of about 75 people. Some local residents criticized the conservative majority’s call for a vote on the VSBA during a session when public comment was not allowed.
Among those angered by the board’s power play was Robert Eckert of Lake of the Woods, the father of two children educated in the local schools. During his public comments, he spoke emphatically: “Early this year, we got an email from the board here. It says [you are] committed to open communication and transparency with the community and providing a collaborative and professional relationship. Does the way that you conducted this vote—does that constitute a, a good, transparent, collaborative relationship? I don't think so. I don't think so at all. No. You snuck it in. It was deceitful. It was slimy and it was tricky.”
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Retired Orange County teacher and local musician Judy Peterson objected to both the board’s decision and the way the majority went about it. She had attended the previous meeting when Quintern moved to renew the board’s VSBA membership and then promptly voted against her own motion, along with Anderson and Dawson. Jack Rickett (District 3) and Sandy Harrington (District 5) voted in favor of staying in the VSBA.
Peterson told the board, “I watched minute by minute, in shock, as you just voted that night—no public comment because no discussion was allowed that night. This was a tragic action that will have repercussions for years to come, both fiscally and in regard to policy. The vote was taken, and now our teachers, staff, administrators and you have lost the ability to get assistance and consultation from the VSBA.”
Addressing Quintern, Anderson and Dawson by name, Peterson expressed her dismay at what she perceived as their collective effort to bring religion and far-right politics into the schools. “I see what you're doing. I see how you're doing it. I see where you are going with your religious and political views. I see where you are taking this school system, and I'm appalled. I'm sorry, I just really am.”
The most enraged opponent of the board’s decision was Kathy Bradley, who said she worked for 20 years as a court reporter and saw “the results of the destruction of children.” Denouncing the board’s right-wing majority for what she perceives as their attempt to bring religion into the public schools, she pointed a finger at the five stone-faced representatives on the dais and lit into Quintern, Anderson and Dawson: “The American children have been weaponized long enough, and you need to leave children out of y’all’s personal agendas. … I can tell you right now, with all my heart, y'all are evil people. Evil!”
Later, Bradley erupted from her seat near the front of the room. While Anderson rapped her gavel in an attempt to restore order, Bradley rose to her feet and again addressed the three objects of her wrath, her voice now steady with certitude: “Y’all are evil.” Then she left amid murmurings from the audience.
There were plenty of speakers who didn’t feel the way Eckert, Peterson and Bradley did. Public comment began with Delores Darnell of Lake of the Woods, who previously served on the local school board for eight years. She said the VSBA’s services could be obtained elsewhere and that in her experience with the organization, “I found the ‘nonpartisan’ descriptor to be untrue.”
“You are the people that we elected to run this thing”
Later in the evening, the audience heard from Randy Squires, who said he’s lived in the area for about 20 years. Although Squires made his support for the majority clear, he advocated for a live-and-let-live approach: “I think something has been missing from the discussion tonight, and that is that you are the people that we elected to run this thing. So when you go to make a decision, I support your decisions. There's other political people I could mention that I don't support their positions, but they got voted in, so I need to let them do what they need to do.”
Kate Allen, a retired music teacher who taught in both Fairfax and Fauquier counties, also supported the decision to leave the VSBA, but she urged the board to get its act together: “I would ask that as an example to our students and our kids that the five of you stand under the umbrella together. I know what it's like to disagree with somebody. You don't agree with them, you don't like what they believe, but at some point you have to just learn to get under the umbrella together and work it out. And I beg you to do that in a polite manner for the sake of our students.”
Marcia Landau of Unionville took a harder line. Speaking firmly, she excoriated the VSBA and the “powerful” state teachers’ union for what she described as their promotion of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and “the transgender craze.” For her, the board’s continuing membership in the VSBA would have been tantamount to “supporting ideologies that have nothing to do with educating children—indoctrinating, maybe.”
Addressing the voters of Orange County who don’t share her views, Landau said, “We know you are upset, but we won and you lost. And because this is still America, you have the freedom of options. You can throw tantrums and threaten fantasy legal action. You can homeschool or use private schools. You might consider relocating to a community more in line with the views you hold, or you can find a way to deal with the majority and compromise.”
Ellen Wessel also wanted to talk about America freedoms, but from a historical perspective. After voicing her objection to the board’s withdrawal from the VSBA, she said, “I speak tonight in general opposition to the school board majority's determination to impose a specific faction of religious ideology on Orange County Public Schools. I spent 12 and a half years in the executive office at James Madison's Montpelier. I gained a deep appreciation for Madison’s genius in setting up a government framework in which people from all walks of life could flourish. His bedrock belief in the separation of church and state was anchored in the conviction that freedom of conscience and religion is the foundation of free society.”
Kris Nelson, chair of the Warren County Democratic Committee, made the drive to Orange to warn the board about problems that may result from quitting the VSBA. “The VSBA provides critical legal experience, expertise, policy, guidance and training that are essential for running our schools effectively and lawfully. These resources are invaluable, especially in today's complex educational landscape. Without them, we’re left vulnerable to legal missteps and inefficiencies that drain our resources and detract from our primary mission: educating our children.”
Nelson continued, “We've seen firsthand in Warren County how leaving the VSBA has created chaos and increased expenses. Our legal fees have skyrocketed, and our ability to govern effectively has been compromised. This is not a path you want to go down. It’s not just about the money. It's about maintaining a standard of excellence and accountability in our school system. We need to stand up for our children and ensure they receive the best education possible, and that starts with being a part of a reputable school board association that provides the support and resources we need to succeed. Don't make the same mistake we did in Warren County. Learn from our mistake.”
“There is no one evil on this board”
Public comment lasted for about an hour and a half. Traditionally, board members say nothing in response and immediately move on to the next item on the agenda. But Rickett broke from that and addressed the crowd.
The son of the late Judy Carter, a widely revered Orange County School Board member, Rickett reminded the audience that he had voted against leaving the VSBA. His voice tense with emotion, he said, “First and foremost, the one thing I want to say, there is no one evil on this board. … I listened to a lot of the citizens that I know quite well that have lived here for a long time. I also have lived here a long time. I am getting a little choked up because most of y’all are my neighbors,” he said.
“What is the alternative to leaving the VSBA?” he asked the audience. “I did not hear that from anyone. What is the alternative? Is the VSBA perfect? Nope. Not even close. I don't understand why we run from a fight. Why just cancel it? Why just get out? That's why I voted No.”
In a phone conversation several days later, Rickett told me his main problem with the VSBA is its lobbying positions in Richmond. He said that counties pay membership rates based on student headcount, and in his opinion, the views of larger divisions "have more of a voice [with the VSBA] than some of us smaller ones.” He added that Orange County’s nearly 5,000 public school students put it “right in the middle,” between small rural divisions and the large urban ones in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater.
“I’m not a huge fan of lobbying groups,” Rickett said. “I’m also not a fan of cutting my nose off to spite my face. In my opinion, that’s what we have done.”
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To keep track of Orange County School Board activities, including upcoming meetings, click here.
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Loved your coverage and micro view of a macro conflict. Also loved Ellen Wessel’s smackdown via the legacy of James Madison.
Hilary. You are the Heather Cox Richardson of Orange County! We need you!