Schmidt only candidate running to fill District 1 vacancy on School Board
By Randy Arrington
RILEYVILLE — When the deadline for candidates to file for an open seat and appear on the November ballot passed on June 17, there were no names submitted for the District 1 seat on the Page County School Board. The incumbent is not running for re-election, and now, no candidate will appear on the actual ballot. However, less than a week after the filing deadline passed, Bette Schmidt of Rileyville stepped forward to launch a write-in campaign.
“I am seeking election to the Luray School Board District 1 as a write-in candidate because I believe every child in our community deserves access to an education that empowers them to succeed, no matter their challenges or background. My decades of experience in education and social work have taught me that with the right leadership, every school system has the potential for greatness — and so does every student,” Schmidt wrote on her campaign website. “Though I was not able to enter the race during the official filing period, I am committed to offering my experience, my values, and my voice to serve the children, families, and educators of Luray.”
For more than 30 years, Schmidt “worked in public service as a social worker, teacher, counselor, and program developer,” according to her website, spending most of that time in Arlington County Public Schools. While working in that school division, she “helped design and operate an innovative alternative middle school program — the Pathways Program — that successfully supported students who might otherwise have been expelled.”
“Thanks to this collaborative, individualized approach, we helped over 50 students turn their lives around, creating an inclusive, stable learning environment that still operates today,” Schmidt stated on the site.
She and her husband moved to Page County and built a house along the Shenandoah River near Rileyville in 2009.
The incumbent in the District 1 school board seat, Taylor Alger, is stepping down after being appointed in late 2022 to replace the late Tommy Lansberry and winning the remainder of his term in November 2023. Schmidt is now asking voters to write-in her name on the Nov. 5 ballot (early voting starts Sept. 19) for a full four-year term running through Dec. 31, 2029.
“Our schools can only be as strong as the leadership behind them. I will bring experience, compassion, and common sense to the School Board — and always put students first. My life’s work has been about helping children succeed. I’m ready to put that experience to work for Luray,” Schmidt stated on her campaign site.
“In addition to my work in schools, I’ve served in healthcare, clinical social work, and family services, always advocating for children, families, and vulnerable communities. My experience working with children on the autism spectrum, students with learning differences, and families in crisis has given me a deep understanding of what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to helping students succeed,” she continued.
“Every child deserves a safe, well-funded, well-staffed school where they can thrive. As your school board member, I won’t just point out the problems — I’ll roll up my sleeves and work for practical, affordable, community-driven solutions.”
The Page County School Board will see a lot of new faces in 2026. Not only are three members stepping down — losing decades of experience — but a fourth member is running for chairman in an uncontested race that will create another vacancy in January. District 4 representative Duane E. Painter is the lone candidate who filed for the chairman’s seat. Once he takes his oath and wields the gavel in January, the school board will need to appoint someone to take Painter’s seat in District 4.
The District 5 seat has drawn two candidates — M. Charles Queen Jr. and Ana Maria Mendez. Ana Maria made a recent write-in run at the Shenandoah Council last fall.
For more information about the upcoming elections, call the Page County Voter Registrar’s Office at 540-743-3986 or email cgaunt@pagecounty.virginia.gov, or visit them at 103 S. Court St., Suite D, Luray.
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Thank you for this great article about my candidacy for the District School Board position. I plan to do my utmost for Page County students. With the right circumstances, all children should be viewed as potentially successful. When a child fails to reach their full potential, it is not the child who has failed but the support system that could do better.