The six-person Harrisonburg City School Board has mostly remained insulated from political shifts as neighboring counties have elected far-right candidates to their panels.
Four candidates are vying for three open seats on the Harrisonburg board this fall, including Kaylene Seigle, who is seeking a third term. Newcomers Hazzar Pastor Perdomo, Matt Snyder and Tim Howley are running together as a liberal bloc.
Deb Fitzgerald and Tom Domonoske decided to not seek re-election.
This year, the Rockingham County School Board banned books and disaffiliated from the Virginia School Boards Association in favor of the more conservative School Board Member Alliance. Meanwhile, the Shenandoah County board made national news for its decision to rename two schools that had their names changed in 2020. They’re again named for figures connected to the Confederacy.
The liberal bloc of candidates — Pastor Perdomo, Snyder and Howley — are running on a platform that promotes more classroom funding; support for educators; and student equality, which they defined as students having the same resources and educational opportunities regardless of gender or race. Meanwhile, Seigle — the only Black member of the board — has continued her support of the retention and possible addition of more school resource officers.
Kara Dillard, interim executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, said the school board could remain a more progressive body, when compared to panels in the surrounding counties, because of Harrisonburg’s unique population
“I think it is a really interesting factor and perhaps speaks to the incredible racial and ethnic diversity that the city experiences, which ends up showing a more progressive flavor for the Harrisonburg City School Board and the candidates running for election,” Dillard said.
Seats currently held by Andrew Kohen, Emma Phillips and Kristen Loflin aren’t up for a vote until the end of 2026. That trio also ran together as a left-leaning bloc, winning the three open seats in 2022 and ousting former board member Obie Hill.
Seigle, the onetime head of the Shenandoah Valley Young Republicans, has found common ground with some left-leaning board members on certain issues during her first two terms.
“I decided to run for re-election because I want to continue to bring a different perspective to the board,” Seigle said.
Seigle said she is most proud of her service on the Massanutten Technical Center’s Executive Board, as well as work on the School Resource Officer Task Force, which examined the program involving Harrisonburg police officers in city schools and made recommendations on whether to keep or disband it. The board ultimately decided to keep the program — but updated the parameters for how it could operate.
Pastor Perdomo, a mother of two students in the system, said she has a unique perspective on education.
“As an immigrant who arrived to the U.S. at the age of 9, I have walked the path that many of our students and families walk today,” said Pastor Perdomo, who would become the first immigrant to serve on the city school board if elected. “I’m dedicated to strengthening Harrisonburg schools by supporting educators and fostering an inclusive, empowering environment for every student.”
Howley, who also has children in city schools, said he believes in the power of public education and will “work tirelessly against anything that is not in the best interest of our students, including the privatization agenda that is currently threatening our schools from Richmond.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has prioritized funding for laboratory schools, tuition-free institutions run by universities and colleges that provide specialized career instruction to students. Youngkin pivoted to lab schools after a push to expand charter schools was blocked by Virginia Senate Democrats in 2022. He has approved over a dozen lab schools in the commonwealth, including one at James Madison University that serves Rockingham County students.
Snyder is running on a teacher-and-staff support platform, including teacher retention.
“I have two young boys and have volunteered in schools and see the needs of teachers and students,” Snyder said. “I am passionate to jump in and help continue to keep our schools amazing.”
Though school boards traditionally have been nonpartisan panels, JMU’s Dillard said the political divide among Harrisonburg and the surrounding counties feels significant. And in part, that’s because of demographics: Harrisonburg is a refugee resettlement city, and students attending Harrisonburg City Schools represent 73 countries.
“The more the schools become racially and ethnically diverse, the more important it becomes for a healthy and functioning democracy — and for a healthy and functioning school board — for our school board to look more like the population they represent,” Dillard said.
