School board

Board of Education, Watauga County Schools

District 01

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

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

Elected by the district's voters (State Board March 3, 2026 primary precinct results). Nonpartisan.

Candidates Compare by issue

Yolanda Adams

No party listed

The gist

Pledges to prioritize student mental health and educator workloads
Supports stronger family engagement in school decisions
Supports sustainable funding and protecting essential school positions

More about Yolanda

View sources (1)

Pledges to prioritize student mental health and educator workloads
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“Prioritize mental health services, strong support systems, and sustainable workloads for educators to reduce burnout and improve student success.”
Supports stronger family engagement in school decisions
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“foster authentic partnerships in school decision-making”
Supports sustainable funding and protecting essential school positions
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“Advocate for sustainable funding and long-term stability: Protect essential positions, support rural school funding”

Ellen Lamont

No party listed

Professor, Appalachian State University

The gist

Opposes private school vouchers; supports more state school funding
Supports livable wages and professional autonomy for teachers
Pledges to protect schools from political interference

More about Ellen

View sources (1)

Opposes private school vouchers; supports more state school funding
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“I will lobby for an increased percentage of funding from the state as well as against vouchers”
Supports livable wages and professional autonomy for teachers
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“we must ensure our teachers earn livable wages and are given the autonomy to leverage their expertise for student learning.”
Pledges to protect schools from political interference
2026 primary voter guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 1
Candidate questionnaire · Watauga Democrat · wataugademocrat.com
“Protect our schools from political interference.”

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; 2 issues covered in this race.