2 newcomers, 3 incumbents win on Portsmouth School Board

PORTSMOUTH

Political newcomer Costella Williams was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election for five at-large School Board seats, followed by incumbents Elizabeth Daniels and James Bridgeford.

Another newcomer, Edward P. "Ned" McCabe, and incumbent Keith Nance Sr. were the other winners.

Incumbent Sheri Bailey lost her bid for re-election and challenger Ernest Knight, an 18-year-old Norfolk State University student, also fell short.

Bridgeford, the board's longest-serving member, said Tuesday night that he was excited about working with new members.

"We'll hopefully mesh as a new board," said Bridgeford, 64, an administrator at Western Tidewater Regional Jail. "From talking with them, they're coming on board with a positive attitude, and they are ready to go to work."

Achieving competitive teacher pay and full accreditation for all schools were the top issues in this campaign among the seven contenders.

Board member Betty Hudgins, a former school administrator, declined to run for re-election this year, saying she wanted to enjoy retirement.

With the financial support of some city and state leaders, Williams, making her first bid for office, raised more than $23,000 as of April 25, far outpacing other candidates in fundraising.

McCabe, who collected nearly $5,500, was a distant second.

During her campaign, Williams, 56, a 25-year employee of the city's Behavioral Healthcare Services, pushed for safe and fully accredited schools.

In April, the City Council voted to let city employees also serve on the School Board.

"I'm just as serious as I can possibly be about making the school system better," Williams said Tuesday night. "I want to do for these kids what I would want done for my own children."

McCabe, 51, founder and director of Portsmouth Reads, a community initiative aimed at increasing literacy of preschool children and adults, has suggested the possibility of terminating most travel to save money and help increase teacher pay.

Daniels, 69, a retired dentist who was first elected in 1996, promoted raising teacher pay and a budget that would cover the school division's other needs.

Nance, 48, who has served two terms on the board, expressed strong support for building the new Simonsdale Elementary School. The city manager has proposed delaying funding of the new school.

Bailey, 50, had served one term. Last week, The Virginian-Pilot reported that Bailey's organization, the Juneteenth Festival Co., has failed to pay the school system several thousand dollars in rental fees for the use of a city school to hold Juneteenth events in 2006 and 2007.

Bailey is founder and executive director of the nonprofit.

Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com