Two of James City County’s five seats on the seven-member Williamsburg-James City County School Board are up for grabs this year. In the Jamestown District, incumbent Sarah Ortego, who serves as the board’s chair, is facing a challenge by Ty Hodges, while Kimberley Hundley is running unopposed in the Powhatan District.
Jamestown District
S.T. “Ty” Hodges
Age: 34
Family: Wife, Jessica; 3-year-old daughter
Occupation: Multimedia specialist for contracting company Ballistic Digital
Political experience: None
Party affiliation: Independent
Education: Bachelor’s in communication, Virginia Tech
Website: VoteHodges.com
Why do you want to be on the School Board?
I decided to run for school board because of my daughter, Nelly. My hopes for her led me to want to create a better world for not only her, but all of the children in our community. I’m a former local journalist who covered high school sports around the Historic Triangle. While roaming the sidelines of Lafayette, Warhill and Jamestown, I got to see firsthand how much potential our children have when challenged and encouraged. That’s why I want to help ensure that every WJCC student is safe, supported and successful in and out of the classroom.
What would be your top priority if elected?
I believe that if we want to take care of our students, we must first take care of the teachers who are with them every day in the classroom. I am the only school board candidate endorsed by our local teachers union because they know I will fight to ensure our schools have the resources they need. I support giving teachers a seat at the table to negotiate pay and benefits, and I want all students to have more opportunities through expanded vocational and trade programs here in Williamsburg, a JROTC program and additional advanced courses for college-bound students.
Do you think an agreement will be reached to maintain the joint school division?
I believe an agreement must be reached because WJCC Schools are, without a doubt, stronger together. A larger school district gives our students access to more academic, athletic and extracurricular opportunities to help them grow and succeed. Moreover, splitting the district would cost both the city of Williamsburg and James City County millions of dollars in new spending. In fact, it would result in both localities paying more per student for worse outcomes for the very students they are supposed to serve.
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Sarah Ortego
Age: 44
Family: Husband, Christian; three children
Occupation: Worked on Capitol Hill, former strategic communications consultant
Political experience: Served on school board for the Jamestown District since 2021; serving second consecutive term as board chair
Education: Bachelor’s in government, Smith College; master’s in national security and strategic studies, Naval War College
Website: SarahOrtego4SchoolBoard.com
Why do you want to be on the school board?
I am running for reelection to the Williamsburg-James City County school board because I want to build on the work we’ve done over the past four years and help ensure that WJCC Schools is a premier school division. We have made a lot of progress over the course of my first term, especially given the necessary recovery from pandemic-induced learning loss, but there is still much to do. I want to make sure every student receives the highest quality education possible while making fiscally sound and long-term strategic decisions that contribute the future success of our schools and our community as a whole.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority will continue to be raising standards for academic achievement and career readiness while enhancing the learning experience for all students. There are, of course, many factors that contribute to making this priority come to fruition, such as raising teacher and staff compensation to recruit and then retain the very best; adding support staff who can help with classroom management and provide aid to teachers and students in a variety of ways; using data to identify, understand and mitigate achievement gaps wherever prevalent; expanding CTE and vocational options for students in our area; expanding partnerships with local businesses and community organizations; and continuing to ensure transparency and accountably at all levels of our school system.
Do you think an agreement will be reached to maintain the joint school division?
The short answer is yes; I am extremely hopeful that an agreement to maintain the joint school system will be reached very soon. Due to my role as board chair and on the School Liaison Committee (a collaborative committee comprised of select members of the school board, JCC Board of Supervisors and Williamsburg City Council), I have worked closely with all parties involved in the negotiations over the past two years and have always advocated for maintaining a joint school division that is fairly and sufficiently funded by the two governing bodies. I strongly believe that outcome is in the best interest of students and staff alike.
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Powhatan District (unopposed)
Kimberley Hundley
Age: 63
Family: Husband, Vincent; two children
Occupation: Retired educator with 36 year of teaching
Political experience: School board member since 2021
Party affiliation: Independent
Education: Bachelor’s in early childhood education from James Madison University; master’s in education from Regent University
Website: KimForAllKids.com
Why do you want to be on the school board?
In 2020 I retired, and in 2021 I was asked to run for the vacant Powhatan seat because it was felt a teacher’s perception was needed. I accepted the request also because I have always invested in our next generation as a teacher and citizen. After serving one term, I was excited to continue serving because I wanted to see our school division achieve premier status knowing we have amazing staff and students.
What would be your top priority if elected?
I have many priorities, but my top priority would be to attract, maintain and fully compensate the exemplary staff we have. Without qualified and dedicated staff … we can’t educate our students.
Do you think an agreement will be reached to maintain the joint school division?
I believe we (WJCC) are better together, and I believe the public agrees. I am hopeful that we will have a contract.