Fourteen people will be on the November ballot for three at-large seats on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board.
Board Chair Elyse Dashew and at-large member Jennifer De La Jara didn’t file for re-election. That means that after the November election, at least seven of the nine board members will have one year’s experience or less. And they’ll work with a new superintendent; Crystal Hill started the job this month.
Five of six district representatives are partway through their first year, after being elected last fall in an election that was postponed a year because of delays in census data.
This year’s ballot includes one incumbent, eight first-time school board candidates and five making a repeat try for a seat on the board. Candidates are:
Annette Albright, a former CMS and charter school employee, is making her third try for a seat on the board. She finished second of four candidates in the 2017 race for the northern District 1 seat, and sixth of 13 in the 2019 at-large contest.
Peggy A. Capehart, formerly an educator in Fairfax, Va., is making her first run for office. She now works part time for the Federal Emergency Management Association, has grandchildren in CMS and volunteers in schools.
Claire Covington filed Friday; no information about her was immediately available.
Bill Fountain, a retired Air Force officer and former teacher, is running at large after coming in fourth out of five candidates for the north suburban District 1 seat last year. He’s a frequent speaker at school board meetings and campaigned last year against what he calls “woke culture” in schools.
Juanrique Pallamente Hall is making his second run for the board, after coming in third of three candidates for the west Charlotte District 2 seat last year. He works with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Alternatives to Violence program and has talked about using his own troubled past to connect with students who are struggling.
Omar Harris is a CMS parent and National Guard veteran making his first run for school board. He and his family came to Charlotte from Richmond, Va., a year and a half ago. He says he wants to be a voice for teachers.
Shamaiye Haynes is a former CMS parent who’s been active in educational advocacy for seven years, focusing on the needs of west Charlotte and students who live in poverty. This is her first run for office.
Michael Johnson filed Friday; no information about him was immediately available.
Brian Kasher is a former CMS environmental health and safety manager who has been a vocal critic of district leadership. He’s a CMS parent/// who’s making his first run for office.
Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel has run for other local offices, including mayor of Charlotte and county commissioner, but this is her first run for school board.
Liz Monterrey, the daughter of Cuban immigrants and the mother of a preschool child, came to Charlotte in 2020. She says she wants to be a voice for immigrants and other underrepresented communities. She’s a first-time candidate and has the support of De La Jara.
Lenora Shipp, a retired CMS educator, is seeking a second four-year term. She chairs the board’s policy committee and served on the superintendent search committee that chose Crystal Hill to lead the district.
Clara Kennedy Witherspoon, a retired CMS counselor, will make her second run for school board. She came in third in a three-way race for the east Charlotte/Mint Hill District 4 seat last year.
Monty Witherspoon, a minister and father of two young children, is making his third try for a seat on the board. He came in fifth of 13 candidates in the 2019 at-large race, then finished second to incumbent Thelma Byers-Bailey in last year’s District 2 race.
The two Witherspoons are not related.
The school board race is nonpartisan, which means there’s no primary. Members will be elected to four-year terms on Nov. 7, sharing the ballot with municipal races, a $2.5 billion school bond referendum and votes on bonds for Central Piedmont Community College and other county projects. Get contact information for all candidates here.
