Hanover School Board eyeing exit from statewide group

Hanover County School Board is considering leaving a century-old statewide school board organization despite the objection of one of its members and the board's attorney telling them its services are valuable, the Times-Dispatch reports .

Why it matters: If Hanover's board votes to leave the Virginia School Boards Association, it would be the sixth district to do so in the last year — and would likely follow the others in joining a year-old Republican-backed conservative alternative.

The big picture: The 116-year-old VSBA has helped the majority of school districts in the commonwealth in writing legal and policy services around state law, training, lobbying and superintendent searches.

• But in the last year, some Virginia school board members, including in Hanover, have argued that the group has become too political.
• Hanover members have also said VSBA focuses too much on larger districts and that its trainings are too expensive.

Since September, five other districts in Virginia — Isle of Wight and Bedford, Orange, Warran, and Rockingham — have opted instead to join the School Board Member Alliance of Virginia , which launched last year and supports parental rights and "traditional academics," per the Virginia Mercury .

• Some of those board members said they opted for the newcomer because VSBA didn't incorporate "their legislative priorities" or "providing training that mirrors their principles."

Yes, but: Chickahominy District member Bob Hundley, who served as VSBA president, said Hanover would be joining an overtly political organization and losing out on far more robust services if it were to leave the established group.

• The board's attorney and the assistant superintendent for instructional leadership told board members VSBA provided valuable services to do their jobs.
• The board voted to take up the issue at a later meeting.

Reality check: Hanover's school board has become increasing politicized in recent years.

• It leads the state in the number of library books removed from school shelves after the board voted last year to give itself authority to do so.
• And it's one of the last local governments in the state where voters don't directly elect school board members, a policy maintained last year by a Republican-backed committee .

Worth noting: Hanover opted not to reappoint Hundley, who supports staying with VSBA and voted against the board's library policy, to the school board for another term.

• Hundley's term and 20 years on the board ends this month; his replacement was under scrutiny for making campaign donations to the county supervisor who appointed him, per VPM . He starts July 1.