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School board

Board of Education, New Hanover County Schools

Vote for
4
Term
4 years
Candidates
8
Election
Nov 3, 2026

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

CandidatesCompare by issue

Taxes & budget

  • Amy DunningRepublican

    No documented position found.

  • Wendy DaleDemocratic

    • Supports a needs-based, multi-year approach to school funding

  • Chris SuttonRepublican

    • Supports consolidating campuses to reduce facility costs

  • Brittnei LaRueDemocratic

    No documented position found.

  • Jerry Jones, Jr.Democratic

    • Supports pursuing more Endowment funding for schools

  • Margie GewirtzmanDemocratic

    • Opposes using public school money for private school vouchers

  • Pat BradfordRepublican

    • Supports the $320.5 million school bond

  • Josie BarnhartRepublican

    • Supports a weighted student funding model

Education

  • Amy DunningRepublican

    • Supports advocating for competitive teacher pay
    • Supports reducing unnecessary classroom technology use
    • Supports more resources for school arts programs
    • Supports districtwide review of book challenges, not automatic removal

  • Wendy DaleDemocratic

    • Proposes free breakfast and lunch for every student
    • Supports modernizing school kitchens and cafeterias
    • Opposes automatic districtwide removal of challenged books

  • Chris SuttonRepublican

    • Supports scaling back classroom technology use
    • Supports applying book decisions consistently across the district

  • Brittnei LaRueDemocratic

    • Supports balanced, age-appropriate classroom technology use
    • Supports resolving a permanent Isaac Bear Early College facility
    • Opposes automatic districtwide action on book challenges

  • Jerry Jones, Jr.Democratic

    • Proposes reducing teachers' non-instructional duties
    • Supports minimizing screen time for younger students
    • Supports incentives keeping experienced educators in high-need schools

  • Margie GewirtzmanDemocratic

    • Proposes repealing the board's classroom flag and picture ban
    • Supports the school bond referendum
    • Supports a study of classroom screen time

  • Pat BradfordRepublican

    • Proposes lifting the state cap on special-education funding
    • Supports less classroom screen time and firm AI guardrails
    • Supports settling book challenges once for the whole district

  • Josie BarnhartRepublican

    • Supports tiered limits on classroom screen time
    • Supports redistricting based on optimizing school facilities
    • Supports increasing county capital funding for schools

Roads & infrastructure

Government & transparency

  • Amy DunningRepublican

    • Supports the 10-year facilities sustainability plan

  • Wendy DaleDemocratic

    • Supports a transparent, data-driven 10-year sustainability plan

  • Chris SuttonRepublican

    • Proposes a policy releasing the maximum information state law allows
    • Proposes faster handling of public records requests

  • Brittnei LaRueDemocratic

    • Proposes a standing board agenda item on student achievement
    • Supports a 10-year plan without presuming school closures

  • Jerry Jones, Jr.Democratic

    No documented position found.

  • Margie GewirtzmanDemocratic

    • Opposes the new single-committee book challenge process

  • Pat BradfordRepublican

    • Voted for the 10-year facilities sustainability plan

  • Josie BarnhartRepublican

    • Supports the 10-year facilities sustainability plan

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; 4 issues covered in this race.