Elizabeth Warner, Griffis-Widewater Rep, Elected Chair of Stafford School Board
Falmouth rep Sarah Chase elected vice chair.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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Elizabeth Warner, the Griffis-Widewater district representative to the Stafford School Board, was unanimously elected chair of the board for 2026 at Tuesday’s organizational meeting.
Warner was re-elected in 2023 to a second term on the Stafford School Board. This is her first time serving as chair. She was nominated for the position by Falmouth representative Sarah Chase.
After taking the gavel, Warner said she appreciated the support of her colleagues and that “I hope I live up to your expectations.”
The board also elected Chase to serve as vice chair, a position she has held before.
Tuesday’s meeting was the first for newly elected members Josh Regan, Aquia representative; Shannon Fingerholz, Hartwood; and Wanda Blackwell, Garrisonville.
Superintendent Daniel Smith, during his comments, had welcome messages for all of them. To Regan, a special education teacher and coach in Fairfax County and the parent of students in Stafford schools, he said, “I am excited about the perspective you bring on how we can meet the needs of each student in our division.”
Smith thanked Fingerholz, the parent of a Stafford student and fixture at School Board meetings and work sessions, for being “a fierce advocate for Stafford schools.”
“As an engaged parent, you bring a great perspective,” he said.
Smith credited Blackwell’s 21 years of service in the Army and said that her military background and career experience “will help us be intentional and compassionate to ensure we are designing system and processes for each child.”
Each of the new board members thanked their districts for supporting them in the recent election and promised to advocate for all Stafford schools this coming year.
Tuesday’s meeting was brief, but set the stage for budget season. Smith announced a special called meeting on Tuesday, January 27, at 7 p.m., at which he will present his funding request for fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1.
The division will hold a budget town hall on February 3, which will be live-streamed. The School Board is scheduled to approve its budget on February 19 at another special called meeting, and present it to the Board of Supervisors at a joint meeting on February 26.
There will also be a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, January 21 at 5 p.m. More information about the FY27 budget is at the school division’s website.
Warner said the board would “really like [the public’s] participation [in the budget process] and would like you to pay attention to what’s going on.”
“I think our budget is one of the most transparent budgets you will see in the county,” she said. “As you saw in the audit report, we have to answer to a lot of different people who fund us, so we are very careful.”
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