In the Week Ahead for August 19, 2024, I incorrectly stated there were no local races this year. That alerted one reader who pointed out that there is a special race for the Albemarle County School Board.
When Delegate Katrina Callsen was elected to the 54th House District, she stepped down from the Rio District seat on the Albemarle School Board. Soon after, the Board selected Charles Pace to serve as a replacement.
State law requires Pace to run for the seat to fill out the remainder of Callsen’s term which runs through the end of 2025. Pace has worked in public education for 39 years according to his campaign website.
“During my time on the School Board, I’ve observed that there is no question we are doing well in most of what we do to serve students and their families,” Pace writes on the website. “But we do have challenges.”
Pace has an opponent in Jim Dillenbeck, a former teacher who left to work for the tour company WorldStrides.
“Unfortunately, the Albemarle County School system seems to be in a downward trajectory in recent years,” Dillenbeck writes on the issues portion of his website. “Test scores are failing, absenteeism and violence are increasing, teachers are leaving, and enrollment is down despite population growth.”
The Virginia Public Access Program tracks campaign finance results and as of June 30, 2024, Dillenbeck had outraised Pace $4,820 to $1,024.
Early voting in Albemarle County and the rest of Virginia begins on September 20 and continues through November 2. The deadline to register to vote is October 15, but same-day registration is available from October 16 to November 5. The last day to request a ballot by mail is October 25. For more information, visit Albemarle County’s elections page.
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