Candidates for Augusta County school board meet for forum
The candidates were asked questions on a variety of topics like what role they believe parents should play in the education of kids, critical race theory, and transgender policies in schools.
AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Candidates vying for school board seats in Augusta County came together Monday night for a forum at Victory Worship Center.
Three candidates took the stage: Nick Astarb, running for the Pastures District, Marcus Sanders for Middle River District, and incumbent John Ocheltree for Pastures District.
The candidates were asked questions on a variety of topics like, critical race theory, transgender policies in schools, and what role they believe parents should play in the education of their children.
The three candidates had similar opinions on many topics, and all agreed that the state is over-reaching in the public schools in many ways.
“What I object to is this ‘Richmond we know the best policy.’ This is our school system. This is the Augusta County public school system, not the ‘Augusta County government school system,’” Astarb said.
“We try not to be political, I don’t say try, we are not political on the school board but what has been happening in Richmond the last four years, there is a whole lot that I don’t agree with coming out of Richmond but when it comes to school boards, so many times our hands are tied and we are as frustrated as the parents and the grandparents and the teachers over these matters,” Ocheltree said.
“I think the school board itself is just fighting over-reach from Richmond. They’ve had a pretty unfair fight this year and we all have suffered,” Sanders said.
The candidates also encouraged parents to keep showing up to school board meetings and other school meetings along with encouraging voters to head to the polls.
Election Day is Nov. 2.
You can find the full forum here.
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