Manassas Park council interviews three candidates for school board; public hearing set for May 6

Manassas Park — The Manassas Park City Council interviewed three candidates for an upcoming school-board appointment and scheduled a public hearing for May 6, with the formal appointment set for May 13, the council announced during the meeting.

Applicant Jen Moyers, a Manassas Park resident since 2009 with two children in the district and 17 years in human-resources work, said her recruiting and compliance experience would help the district diversify staff and improve operations. "A diverse group of individuals always brings through a more synergistic solution," Moyers said, arguing the district should appeal to candidates’ needs and consider data-driven hiring incentives.

Incumbent Ellen Chlobodnick, seeking reappointment to a second term, highlighted what she described as measurable gains under the board’s recent work: "We have declined the absenteeism rate — it went from 33.2 to 20.5 percent this past year," Chlobodnick said, and she reported the graduation rate increased about 7 percent. She credited expanded professional development, salary increases approved by the board and reinstating the PTSO as parts of those efforts.

Incumbent Shontae Jones, also seeking reappointment, said continuity and institutional knowledge matter as the district pursues programs to boost student opportunities and retain staff. Jones said one priority is getting more students into the Governor’s School and growing career-technical education offerings. "If you are comfortable, if students are comfortable in their environment, we want them to know you are welcome," Jones said when discussing classroom culture and supports.

On extracurricular funding and community engagement, candidates suggested a mix of district seed funding, business sponsorships and stronger outreach to increase participation. Moyers proposed a graduated seed-funding approach to help a fledgling PTSO grow until fundraising becomes self-sustaining.

Council members asked each candidate whether the division should consider flying a progressive pride flag in schools during June to signal support for LGBT students. A council member framed the question by noting higher risks of suicide and substance-use among LGBT youth; candidates uniformly emphasized inclusive school culture, training for staff and available mental-health resources. Chlobodnick noted the district has funded a 24/7 mental-health referral service, and Jones cited the district’s use of Care Solace as an on-call resource.

Candidates emphasized data-driven decisionmaking, alignment with the district’s strategic plan and transparency about board actions. Several cited adding student school-board representatives and better, student-friendly surveys to gather direct feedback. Chlobodnick and Jones each described steps to measure policy effectiveness by tying initiatives to strategic pillars and reviewing data on attendance and academic outcomes.

The council read a short statement at the meeting that Council Member Miro had recused himself from the interview, selection and appointment process for personal reasons. The public will have a chance to comment at the May 6 public hearing; the council plans to make the appointment on May 13.