School board

City of Norfolk School Board

Ward 2

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

What this office does: The school board runs City of Norfolk's public schools, hires the superintendent and adopts the school budget.

Candidates Compare by issue

Veleka S. Gatling

No party listed

Associate vice president for workforce and community relations, Old Dominion University

The gist

Proposes focus on literacy and chronic absenteeism.
Supports limiting personal cell phone use during instruction.
Pledges to hold the superintendent accountable for results.

More about Veleka

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Proposes focus on literacy and chronic absenteeism.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“accelerating literacy and student achievement, reducing chronic absenteeism, strengthening special education and English learner services”
Supports limiting personal cell phone use during instruction.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“I support clear, age-appropriate expectations that limit personal cell phone use during instruction, with appropriate exceptions”
Pledges to hold the superintendent accountable for results.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“work collaboratively with the superintendent while maintaining appropriate governance and accountability”

Michael C. Spencer

No party listed

Head of school, The Hague School

The gist

Supports keeping cell phones silenced and out of sight.
Proposes civility and collaboration among school stakeholders.
Supports consolidating schools while maintaining family services.

More about Michael

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Supports keeping cell phones silenced and out of sight.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“cell phones should be silenced during the school day and kept out of sight”
Proposes civility and collaboration among school stakeholders.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“Most immediate is to set a tone of civility and collaboration among all stakeholders”
Supports consolidating schools while maintaining family services.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“consolidating schools but maintaining the ability to serve families”

Shawn D. Wilkerson, Jr.

No party listed

Systems engineer, KCG Engineering; retired Navy officer

The gist

Supports a bell-to-bell ban on personal devices.
Pledges evidence before voting for technology contracts.
Proposes addressing root causes of declining enrollment.
Pledges transparent communication and fiscal discipline.

More about Shawn

View sources (1)

Supports a bell-to-bell ban on personal devices.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“personal electronic devices must be prohibited bell-to-bell as required by the code of Virginia”
Pledges evidence before voting for technology contracts.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“I will require verified, objective evidence that digital tools enhance learning before voting in favor of technology contracts.”
Proposes addressing root causes of declining enrollment.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“The most pressing issue the NPS board will face is acknowledging and correcting the root cause of declining enrollment.”
Pledges transparent communication and fiscal discipline.
Meet the candidates: Norfolk School Board
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (via Yahoo News) · Sep 21, 2026 · yahoo.com
“I will restore transparent communication, fiscal discipline and community trust to the NPS school board.”

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; 3 issues covered in this race.