VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Victoria Manning, who is at the end of her second term on the school board, released a statement Monday saying that she will not be seeking re-election in the 2024 Virginia Beach School Board race.
In the release, Manning says that after the success of the 2022 election, she returned the valedictorian and salutatorian awards to Virginia Beach schools, along with leading the effort to protect the privacy, safety and dignity of all students in the school division.
Manning also says an achievement of hers while on the board was being able to be one of the first divisions to pass Governor Glenn Youngkin's model policies regarding transgender students.
"Vicky has been a fierce advocate for transparency and is a true servant leader on the board," said fellow school board member Carolyn Weems. "She understands that she works for the citizens of Virginia Beach, and she is a voice for those who have felt voiceless."
Manning also supported one of the largest pay increases for teachers, according to the release, and advocated for higher pay for bus drivers.
"Manning continues to advocate for other important issues, including protecting children from graphic sexually explicit content in schools," the release states. "She brought forward a very reasonable policy on this topic but unfortunately, the current majority refused to protect children from these harmful materials."
Manning says that after much consideration with her family, she will not run for re-election in 2024, but will continue to stay involved and is excited to announce her support for another candidate that has recently filed to run for the at-large school board position.
"Vicky's leadership on the board and dedication to the students, parents, and employees of Virginia Beach Public Schools will be missed, and we are very thankful for her two terms of service," said school board member David Culpeper.
Manning says issues that she hopes will be addressed in the following year include grading disparities, workforce development, and student discipline.
"The new superintendent has made addressing student discipline problems a priority, but the school board must support him in this effort and continue to advocate for improving student behavior in the schools," the release said.
