Albemarle County School Board interviews seven candidates to fill Rio District vacancy

The Albemarle County School Board on a special meeting night interviewed seven applicants for the interim Rio Magisterial District seat, vacated by the death of board member Chuck Pace.

The interviews were part of the board’s process under the Code of Virginia for filling local school-board vacancies. Chair Kate Acuff and staff said the board had solicited applications, would hold a public hearing on the candidates at its Jan. 23 work session, and intended to appoint an interim member who will serve through Dec. 31, 2025; the appointee is expected to attend a first school-board meeting in February.

Why it matters: The interim appointee will represent roughly the Rio Magisterial District on policy, budget and personnel matters through the end of 2025. Board members and candidates framed the interviews around near-term priorities the next member would face, including the upcoming budget process, building capacity in Rio schools and closing achievement gaps.

The format and process Board members said each applicant would have a two-minute opening statement followed by 15 minutes of standardized questioning. School division counsel Josiah Black cited the timeline the board is following under state law: the board must act within 45 days of the vacancy and must hold a public hearing at least seven days before an appointment. The board also announced it would hold a closed meeting to discuss candidates under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Candidates and common themes Candidates who spoke during the night included Leslie Pryor; Jim Dillinbeck; Sarah Jenkins; Sean Moynihan; John Wharton; and other applicants who presented their backgrounds and priorities to the panel. (All candidates are listed below in the speakers section.)

Several topics recurred across multiple interviews: - Student achievement and achievement gaps: Multiple candidates cited persistent performance gaps for students of color and schools in the Rio feeder pattern. Jim Dillinbeck, a former classroom teacher and coach, said he was "concerned about teacher retention in the near future" and named low test scores and the need to help students who are not thriving as priorities. - Recruitment and retention of staff and teacher pay: Candidates repeatedly urged higher teacher pay and stronger supports to retain educators. Leslie Pryor said she "support[s] an increase in teacher pay," and several other applicants described recent pay increases as a start but urged continued work to make salaries competitive. - Newcomer, multilingual and concentrated-poverty supports: Candidates who referenced school-level experience in Rio pointed to an increasing share of immigrant and multilingual families at schools such as Woodbrook and asked for expanded language and newcomer supports. One candidate described Woodbrook as "minority majority" and raised classroom-language needs when families do not speak English at home. - Mental health and student supports: School leaders and candidates said mental health was a pressing concern for students and teachers. Interviewees raised classroom management, grading and post-pandemic academic recovery as linked issues. - Anti-racism policy and equity work: Several applicants addressed the division’s 2019 anti-racism policy. Sarah Jenkins, an academic adviser at the University of Virginia, described the policy as "a commitment to culturally responsive practice" and cited training and credentialing efforts; other candidates urged translating policy into measurable outcomes for closing gaps.

Next steps and board action After completing interviews, a board member moved that the board go into closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to discuss the seven applicants for appointment to the Rio Magisterial District seat. The motion cited the statutory exemption for closed deliberations on appointments (Virginia FOIA §2.2-3711(A)(1)). The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor; the board then recessed into closed session.

No appointment was announced in open session that night. Board statements earlier in the meeting said the board planned a public hearing at its Jan. 23 work session to receive community comment on the candidates and would announce any appointment after the required processes and deliberations.

What board members and staff said - Josiah Black, school division counsel, explained the statutory timeline and the board’s obligation to hold a public hearing at least seven days before an appointment and to make the interim appointment within 45 days of the vacancy. - Chair Kate Acuff and other members outlined the interview procedure (two-minute opening statements and 15 minutes of Q&A) and confirmed logistical details including timing for the public hearing and the interim member’s start date.

Ending The board’s next public step on the Rio District vacancy is the public hearing at the Jan. 23 work session; further scheduling or the final appointment will follow the board’s closed deliberations and the statutory timeline.