School board

Board of Education, Cabarrus County Schools

Vote for: 3
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 6
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A board of education member helps set policy, the budget and the superintendent's direction for Cabarrus County Schools.

Candidates Compare by issue

William L. Barbee

Republican

Real estate

The gist

Supports higher teacher base pay and experience-based raises
Supports sign-on bonuses and extra pay for high-need subjects
Supports more internships and work-based learning
Supports adaptable spaces in new and renovated schools

More about William

View sources (1)

Supports higher teacher base pay and experience-based raises
William L. Barbee: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“The School Board should Advocate for higher base salaries and structured raises linked to experience and advanced credentials.”
Supports sign-on bonuses and extra pay for high-need subjects
William L. Barbee: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Expand sign-on bonuses, retention stipends, and differentiated pay for high-need subjects (like special education or STEM).”
Supports more internships and work-based learning
William L. Barbee: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Expands internships, job shadowing, and work-based learning”
Supports adaptable spaces in new and renovated schools
William L. Barbee: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“New and renovated schools should include adaptable spaces”

Mishell Williams

Democratic

Substitute teacher

The gist

Supports treating career-technical education as equal to college
Supports making deferred school maintenance a priority
Pledges focus on teacher retention and student achievement
Supports planning schools ahead of enrollment growth

More about Mishell

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Supports treating career-technical education as equal to college
Mishell Williams: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Career & Technical Education should be treated as an important part of a well-rounded education, not as a lesser alternative to college.”
Supports making deferred school maintenance a priority
Mishell Williams: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“We also need to make addressing deferred maintenance a priority.”
Pledges focus on teacher retention and student achievement
Mishell Williams: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“particularly around teacher retention, student achievement, and managing the continued growth in Cabarrus County”
Supports planning schools ahead of enrollment growth
Mishell Williams: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Our school facilities need to be planned with that growth in mind rather than reacting to overcrowding after it occurs.”

Courtney Steinberg

Democratic

The gist

No documented position found.

More about Courtney

Robert Kirk

Republican

Retired educator and U.S. Navy veteran

The gist

Pledges focus on teacher retention, recruitment and student safety
Supports weighing student growth over test achievement
Supports preventive maintenance and life-cycle planning for schools
Supports specialty schools in trades, aviation and culinary arts

More about Robert

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Pledges focus on teacher retention, recruitment and student safety
Robert Kirk: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“focusing on teacher retention and recruitment, and student safety”
Supports weighing student growth over test achievement
Robert Kirk: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Student growth has got to trump mere achievement”
Supports preventive maintenance and life-cycle planning for schools
Robert Kirk: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“along with a rigid preventive maintenance program in place”
Supports specialty schools in trades, aviation and culinary arts
Robert Kirk: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“establishing specialty schools as we have with the trades, aviation, the culinary arts, and others, is a mind-set I heartily embrace”

Bubba Hartsell

Republican

Real estate firm owner

The gist

Proposes a years-of-service teacher supplement
Supports bathroom use matching students' biological sex
Supports more career and technical education programs
Pledges better support for the exceptional children's program

More about Bubba

View sources (1)

Proposes a years-of-service teacher supplement
Bubba Hartsell: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“I am proposing a year's of service incentive based supplement.”
Supports bathroom use matching students' biological sex
Bubba Hartsell: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“Students should be using the bathroom that matches their biological sex.”
Supports more career and technical education programs
Bubba Hartsell: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“We have to continue to offer more CTE programs and ensure students have basic skills upon graduation.”
Pledges better support for the exceptional children's program
Bubba Hartsell: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“better support for our Exceptional Children's program”

Pam Escobar

DemocraticIncumbent

Lead communications specialist

The gist

Pledges to push for a new math curriculum
Voted for building five schools as a board member
Supported the district's current reading curriculum
Supports better working conditions to keep teachers

More about Pam

View sources (1)

Pledges to push for a new math curriculum
Pam Escobar: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“I will continue to advocate for a math curriculum.”
Voted for building five schools as a board member
Pam Escobar: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“I voted for the construction of 5 schools because the infrastructure was needed and unsafe.”
Supported the district's current reading curriculum
Pam Escobar: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“I advocated and supported a reading curriculum that I believe has been instrumental in the growing success of our students”
Supports better working conditions to keep teachers
Pam Escobar: candidate profile and questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
Candidate questionnaire · The Election Hub · theelectionhub.org
“As a school board member, it is my job to advocate for excellent working conditions.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 1 issue covered in this race.