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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.
Public safety
James Vell Rives IVNo party listed
- Supports reinstating police school resource officers.
Bethany Zecher SuttonNo party listed
- Supports current school security staffing over returning police officers.
Education
James Vell Rives IVNo party listed
- Supports minimizing screen use in schools.
- Supports revising gender policy to provide girls-only spaces.
- Supports firmer student discipline backed by administrators.
- Supports performance-based grading and age-appropriate homework.
Bethany Zecher SuttonNo party listed
- 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.
Roads & infrastructure
James Vell Rives IVNo party listed
- Supports prioritizing upkeep of older school buildings.
Bethany Zecher SuttonNo party listed
- Supports repairing aging school HVAC systems and roofs.
Health & human services
James Vell Rives IVNo party listed
- Supports aggressive early intervention for student drug use.
Bethany Zecher SuttonNo party listed
- Supports new ways to address student food and housing insecurity.
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.