School board

Arlington County School Board

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

What this office does: The five-member school board, elected at large, runs Arlington Public Schools, hires the superintendent and adopts the school budget.

Candidates Compare by issue

James Vell Rives IV

No party listed

Psychiatrist

The gist

Supports reinstating police school resource officers.
Supports minimizing screen use in schools.
Supports aggressive early intervention for student drug use.
Supports revising gender policy to provide girls-only spaces.
Supports prioritizing upkeep of older school buildings.
Supports firmer student discipline backed by administrators.
Supports performance-based grading and age-appropriate homework.

More about James

View sources (2)

Supports reinstating police school resource officers.
School Board candidates debate APS safety and support for teachers
Debate / forum transcript · ARLnow · arlnow.com
“security personnel “were not armed, not sworn, not trained as police officers are.””
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“We should reinstate the program.”
Supports minimizing screen use in schools.
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“We should delay introducing screens and minimize screen use in school.”
Supports aggressive early intervention for student drug use.
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“I support aggressive early intervention to change the life trajectories for students using drugs.”
Supports revising gender policy to provide girls-only spaces.
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“We should revise the current gender policy to provide girls exclusive spaces while providing appropriate, respectful accommodations for students who need them.”
Supports prioritizing upkeep of older school buildings.
School Board candidates debate APS safety and support for teachers
Debate / forum transcript · ARLnow · arlnow.com
“School buildings should last 100 years, not 30”
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“Maintenance and upgrading of older facilities have moved too slowly in favor of expensive new projects.”
Supports firmer student discipline backed by administrators.
School Board candidates debate APS safety and support for teachers
Debate / forum transcript · ARLnow · arlnow.com
“Teachers want to know the administrators will back them up … We have to get back to real consequences”
Supports performance-based grading and age-appropriate homework.
Issues — Rives for Arlington School Board
Campaign website · Rives for Arlington School Board · rivesforsb.com
“I support equity of opportunity, getting extra help to kids who need it, and performance-based grading of work, including age-appropriate homework.”

Bethany Zecher Sutton

No party listedIncumbent

Arlington School Board member; higher education and leadership coaching professional

The gist

Supports expanding bullying prevention programs and training.
Supports deploying behavioral interventionists where most needed.
Supports protecting teacher planning time and cutting mandated trainings.
Supports working with unions on teacher and staff improvements.
Supports repairing aging school HVAC systems and roofs.
Supports current school security staffing over returning police officers.
Supports new ways to address student food and housing insecurity.

More about Bethany

View sources (2)

Supports expanding bullying prevention programs and training.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Expand bullying prevention programs and training;”
Supports deploying behavioral interventionists where most needed.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Deploy behavioral interventionists with attention to areas of greatest need;”
Supports protecting teacher planning time and cutting mandated trainings.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Protect time for planning and collaboration; … Reduce state and federally-mandated training requirements;”
Supports working with unions on teacher and staff improvements.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Support our unions to strengthen our relationships and make improvements for teachers and staff that reflect genuine needs and interests;”
Supports repairing aging school HVAC systems and roofs.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Address aging building systems like HVACs and roofs;”
Supports current school security staffing over returning police officers.
School Board candidates debate APS safety and support for teachers
Debate / forum transcript · ARLnow · arlnow.com
“Zecher Sutton said the use of school system security personnel in collaboration with the police department was working well. … Our officers receive extensive training beyond what is required by the state”
Supports new ways to address student food and housing insecurity.
Priorities — Bethany Zecher Sutton for Arlington Public Schools
Campaign website · Bethany Sutton for Arlington Public Schools · bethany4aps.com
“Explore new ways to address food and housing insecurity for students;”

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.