Council opens public hearing on school board vacancies, schedules candidate interviews

Lynchburg City Council held a public hearing on May 27 to receive names and brief remarks from candidates seeking appointment to upcoming vacancies on the Lynchburg School Board (Districts 1, 2 and 3), and the council selected a slate of applicants to invite for interviews.

City staff read the names of dozens of applicants into the record, as required by state code, and candidates who had not previously spoken were given an opportunity to address council for three minutes. Dozens of candidates and community supporters spoke about priorities including literacy, teacher pay, school safety, mental health and career and technical education.

Candidates who spoke from District 1 included Deborah Trevzger, who described herself as a lifelong educator and argued the district must “first acknowledge our failures and seek wisdom.” From District 2, Sharron Simpson and Rodney Hubbard were among those who presented their qualifications; several candidates from District 3 also addressed council, including Dr. Brenda Farmer and Tori Howard.

After the hearing, council agreed to invite a subset of applicants for interviews and to hold residency checks before final action. Council scheduled interview sessions on June 10 and asked staff to complete residency verifications for candidates before interviews. Several council members publicly named candidates they wanted to interview; the transcript records multiple names that councilors asked staff to schedule. Among those councilors asked to be interviewed were (by council request during the meeting): Dr. Harvey Clam, Jabri Poe, Jack Collins, April Watson, Mike Baron, Sharron Simpson, Dr. Brenda Farmer, Gloria Preston, Tori Howard, Eliza (Liza) Giganto, Deborah Trefzger and others; staff will confirm final interview lists and residency status.

Why it matters: Appointments will fill school board seats that become vacant June 30 and will shape governance of district policy, budget priorities and superintendent oversight. Candidates and speakers emphasized reading and early‑grade literacy, teacher retention, mental‑health services, and preserving signature programs.

What’s next: Council said it will conduct interviews on June 10, perform residency checks and return to make appointments. The public hearing record will remain part of the appointment file; council invited community members and supporters to remain engaged during the interview and appointment process.