THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603070023
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
There were those who predicted that last week's scathing report by a Virginia Beach special grand jury would ensure that no one would ever run for election to the city's School Board again. They couldn't have been more wrong.
By the time the weary registrar closed up shop on Tuesday night, 41 people had been certified to run for seven seats on the School Board. Nine more were certified yesterday. Almost all of the candidates have filed for three at-large vacancies on the board.
At a glance, many of the candidates hold impressive resumes. Among the hopefuls are teachers, lawyers, accountants, retired military, a flight attendant, a veterinarian, a mortgage banker, a State Police trooper, an auditor with the General Accounting Office, a philosophy professor and a pediatric-nurse practitioner.
Some of those running for School Board slots are parents who care about the public schools. Few in the group have ever held or sought public office before.
``I see this as a matter of civic duty,'' declared one candidate, the father of two schoolchildren. ``I am happy to be part of this whether my candidacy is successful or not. It is important for us not to become too cynical about our community.''
We applaud the civic-mindedness of these concerned citizens. They've offered themselves to the city to help get the policy-making part of the school division back on track. The winners face a thankless task: long hours, endless meetings, reams of documents to study and a steady stream of complaints by citizens.
The downside to a massive slate of candidates is that the voters will have a difficult time deciding between them - especially since almost all are seeking three seats. As a consequence, the winners are likely to emerge victorious with a small percentage of the total vote.
Civic groups should sponsor public forums around the city during the 8 1/2 weeks until Election Day. The more, the better in this crowded field. It is one of the best ways for the public to meet and question the candidates.
It is encouraging to see how deeply many of these candidates care about their public schools. The onus is now on Virginia Beach voters to pay attention to what they say and make an informed choice on May 7. by CNB