Six candidates for the Orange County School Board of Education will compete for four seats, arguing their case for leadership as the district continues to face financial and enrollment challenges.
The candidates agree on a lot, mainly that the district is facing tough budgetary decisions and declining enrollment as families send their kids to private and charter schools. With enrollment numbers tied to funding, most candidates say Orange County Schools (OCS) needs to market itself better to families.
The district also faces staffing issues. Although they vary on approaches, the candidates acknowledge the need to entice teachers to come and stay with OCS.
Last year, the Orange County commissioners did not fully fund a continuation budget for the district, leaving a $400,000-plus gap in what OCS said it would need to continue operations at the same level. The General Assembly has not passed a state budget and likely won’t until at least April. Both moves—plus ongoing federal funding uncertainty as the Trump administration all but shutters the U.S. Department of Education—have put financial pressure on the district.
These issues are shaping the nonpartisan race for the Orange County school board, in which three of the six candidates are seeking re-election.
The incumbents are current board chair Will Atherton, retired longtime Orange County educator Anne Purcell, and former public school teacher Sarah Smylie.
Atherton, who has served two terms, is running on his record of creating a sense of belonging for students and preserving extracurricular activities.
He said the biggest challenges he sees are balancing budgets without cutting programs or resources students enjoy and rely on, retaining teachers and staff through competitive wages, and keeping diverse teachers. He said another area of attention is transparently working with the community, especially on the $125 million bond voters approved in 2024 for major school construction projects.
Through reviewing the efficacy of programs so far, Atherton said the board and OCS superintendent have been able to save $700,000, which has kept the district from cutting jobs.
“We need to maximize every dollar, prioritize classroom resources, leveraging partnerships with businesses and our nonprofits to help fill the gaps, which we’ve been able to do,” Atherton said.
Atherton said the board needs to “relentlessly push” for fair teacher wages while looking at increasing the local supplement through the county commission. But he said he won’t cut programs that are important to students, like art, band, and extra curricular activities that keep kids coming to school. Keeping these programs, along with college preparatory classes, career and technical education (CTE) courses, chorus, drama, Future Farmers of America, and athletics will help combat falling enrollment, he said.
Atherton said the district needs to continue recruiting diverse employees and staff so students see people who look like them. Having a stable learning environment and a diverse school allow students to succeed, Atherton said.
“We’re at a very challenging time… public schools specifically are getting attacked at all levels, and we’ve got to be steadfast… and show that we do have welcoming, inclusive, and safe schools for everyone,” Atherton said. “And that for our families, teachers and community, Orange County Schools is the place to grow and shows that public schools work, and it works when we’re all together and supporting each other.”
Similarly, Purcell said she wants the board to continue working, in collaboration with the superintendent and chief financial officer, to look to cut programs not benefiting a majority of students and have that money reallocated.
But the biggest challenge the board is facing, in Purcell’s eyes, is students enrolling in private and charter schools instead of the district’s. To remedy this, Purcell said there needs to be more communication with parents about what the district is doing.
“We need to sell ourselves a little bit better… and let parents see the good things we’re doing, how students are learning, and what our teachers are doing,” Purcell said. “Just get it out there.”
Teacher retention is also top of mind, she said. Though the district has received “as much money as we possibly can” from the county commission, Purcell said, it still isn’t enough to raise the supplement for teachers. She said the board needs to find a way to increase the supplement because Orange County is falling behind nearby districts.
But without a state budget, Purcell said their power is limited.
Purcell grew up in Hillsborough and has a long line of educators in her family—her mother and grandmother were elementary teachers in Hillsborough. Purcell has served more than 30 years in the district, holding every position that serves students in the county, from teacher assistant to principal, she said.
“I know the school system, I know each school. I know principals, teachers. I know what the school system means to a lot of people in this district,” Purcell said. “Education is a great equalizer, and we need to remember that every child needs a good education. That has always been my goal as a teacher and as a principal.”
Smylie, who previously served as the board’s vice chair, is seeking her third term. The former teacher is running her campaign on student equity, well-being, academic excellence, and supporting staff.
She said there is “a real possibility” the district will lose funding over the next few years, which won’t leave obvious places to cut because the board has been “really careful and efficient in our spending.”
“That’s going to be really, really challenging, and the school board in the next few years is probably going to have to deal with some difficult financial choices,” Smylie said.
With the funding the district does have, Smylie said it will be important to keep it focused on classrooms, schools, and where it will most directly impact student success. But as enrollment declines, Smylie said the size of staff will have to adjust accordingly.
“The reality is, if we have very limited dollars, we just have to figure out how to stretch them as far as we can,” Smylie said.
To keep enrollment steady, Smylie said the board also needs to share the district’s success stories effectively. The messages need to reach families early in the year, when they are deciding where to enroll their child in Kindergarten, to match how charter and private schools are recruiting students, she said.
Since the pandemic, Smylie said OCS has had fewer teacher vacancies at the beginning of the school year each year. For roles that are harder to fill, such as secondary career and technical education, math, science, and special education, Smylie said she is interested in exploring an additional supplement. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, which lies within Orange County, offers an additional 2% supplement for special education teachers.
“When school leadership creates a supportive, collaborative culture, teachers stay in places like that, and they tell their friends about it,” Smylie said. “The work that we’re doing to develop the leadership of principals and school administrators is another piece of this, to develop their cultural leadership.”
Smylie said she makes value-centered decisions and is committed to inclusion, equity, and excellence for all students. She added she is naturally curious and does her homework, so her questions keep the board focused on its “most important objectives as a school district.”
Three fresh faces are vying for their first term on the school board.
Saru Salvi, a former member of the county Board of Equalization and Review, is running on equitable education and community engagement.
Salvi said she’s interested in using community support to fill in funding shortfall gaps. This could mean more volunteers in classrooms, supporting teachers, or offering community tutoring.
Another priority, Salvi said, would be to increase the percentage of students performing at or above grade level. For the 2024-2025 school year, the district had 100% of its students meet or exceed growth goals, which compare students’ predicted test scores to their actual results. Next, Salvi wants to see improvement with students’ grade-level performance.
“In order to get the kids back into the public schools, the parents have to trust Orange County school system to educate and be the best choice for their child, and the way to do that is to make sure that everyone’s needs are being addressed, making sure that everybody is able to reach their potential individually within the classroom,” Salvi said.
Salvi said there is a need for diversity on the school board, particularly with the one Black member not seeking re-election.
“As a minority candidate, as a Black candidate,… to assure that there are people from different backgrounds on the school board that can bring different ideas to the board, because maybe they grew up differently than the other other board members,” Salvi said. “That’s really important to fill that need so the community knows that they’re being represented as well.”
Salvi has an MBA, which she said will make the transition to understanding school finances easier. As an entrepreneur, Salvi said she is used to creative thinking and problem solving.
Salvi said education has always been valued in her family. Her great grandmother was enslaved and not allowed to have an education. Her grandmother was proud that she graduated from high school, and her grandmother’s children all went on to have college degrees, she said.
“It’s sort of a calling to assure that other families are able to fulfill those dreams as well,” Salvi said.
Russell, a lawyer, is running a campaign centered on trust and accountability. Russell said the board needs to continue to work on strengthening trust and transparency through engagement and partnerships, “to help build confidence in our schools at a time when trust in institutions is really under strain.”
Russell said she thinks OCS should “be more proactive in telling its own story” as a way to compete with charter and private schools that more families in the district are choosing.
“Families need to feel heard and see their concerns taken seriously,” Russell said.
Russell said educators will stay in the district when they feel supported, respected, and able to do their jobs without “constant burnout.” She said this includes competitive compensation, mentorship, reasonable workloads, opportunities for growth, resources for classrooms, and a culture that values educators’ feedback.
“Listening to what they need is the most important first step to things that will improve their day-to-day experience and help them to continue to be those dedicated educators for our children,” Russell said.
Russell said her legal experience, listening-centered approach, and commitment to transparent leadership differentiates her from other candidates.
“I really am interested in helping our schools function better and feel better for teachers and students,” Russell said. “I see the role of the board as setting policy, ensuring accountability and supporting the strong district leadership that we have. My goal is making sure that we’re doing that with clear, ethical, and accountable governance.”
Brian Edwards, a former detention officer, is focused on mental health and respect for teachers.
A cornerstone of his campaign is introducing a “Teacher’s Bill of Rights,” which proposes giving teachers the right to have their planning time respected, the right to fair and competitive wages, and the right to be treated as the “licensed, trained professionals they are.” Edwards also said the board also needs to find a way to increase teacher supplements.
“I would say that compensation is probably the biggest factor that makes teachers want to apply for a district or stay,” Edwards said.
Edwards said one of the district’s biggest challenges is operating without a state budget and with shortfalls in the county budget. He said he would push the board to work closer with the county commission and to “go line by line” through the budget and cut down on programs that aren’t helping students so that money could be used for teacher pay.
Edwards said he thinks fewer kids are enrolling in Orange County public schools because parents are choosing public schools in surrounding districts, as well as charter and private schools. Another reason, Edwards said, is the district is losing experienced teachers. Parents can feel like their kids aren’t receiving a quality education if schools are relying on new teachers or long-term substitutes, he said.
Edwards is a 2007 graduate of Orange High School. He has worked in the criminal justice system for much of his career, where Edwards said he has seen the end result of unchecked mental health. Schools have an opportunity to spot early signs of a mental health crisis and help students, he said. Part of this campaign is his experience as a student at Orange High School, where he attended when a student attempted to commit a mass shooting in 2006.
In-person early voting began this week, and voters’ last chance to cast a ballot will be March 3. The school board election is not a primary; it will determine who sits on the board for a four-year term.
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