Henrico School Board elects Atkins as chair

Alicia Atkins will not only serve as the Henrico School Board’s chair for 2024, but also as the first Black woman to be elected to the position.

The Varina District representative became the first Black woman to serve on the board when she was first elected in 2019, as well as the first Black woman to serve on board leadership when she became vice-chair last year. She was unanimously elected as board chair at a Jan. 11 meeting.

After being elected, Atkins read out a short poem she wrote to honor the moment.

"In leadership’s embrace, a Black woman chair is here. A catalyst, a force, with a vision that I endeavor to make clear," she said. "Thank you for making this moment of history. Decisions we make echoes through the years, a lasting impact, we are now dispelling fears."

The school board, which now includes new members Madison Irving (Three Chopt District) and Ryan Young (Fairfield District), also unanimously elected Tuckahoe District representative Marcie Shea as the new vice-chair. Shea previously served as chair in 2022.

Atkins thanked 2023 board chair Kristi Kinsella, who represents the Brookland District, for her service on board leadership and presented her with a plaque.

Kinsella, Atkins, and Shea are all returning to the board for their second terms after being reelected this past November. Kinsella, a small business owner, and Shea, a former physics teacher at Douglas S. Freeman High, both won uncontested races, while Atkins, who used to work in healthcare administration, defeated challenger Domonique Pervall by a wide margin.

Both Irving and Young are newcomers to the board and served at their very first meeting on Jan. 11. Irving, an economics teacher at James River High in Chesterfield, won in a three-way race while Young, a consultant and basketball coach at Henrico High, defeated four other challengers by a narrow margin.

The board also approved new committee assignments for 2024, including the Family and Community Engagement Committee which is new this year.

School board members leading the “School Board Advisory Committees” are as follows:

• Career and Technical Education Business Advisory Committee – Kinsella
• Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee – Young
• Gifted Education Advisory Committee – Shea
• School Health Advisory Committee – Atkins
• Special Education Advisory Committee – Irving

Members leading the “Superintendent Advisory Committees”:

• Internal Audit Committee – Young and Irving
• Multilingual Learner Advisory Committee – Kinsella
• Henrico Federal Programs Advisory Committee – Atkins
• Early Learning Preschool Family Committee – Young
• Instructional Materials Review Committee – Atkins
• Family and Community Engagement Committee – Kinsella
• Policy Committee – Kinsella and Shea
• Strategic Planning Committee – Shea and Irving
• Student Advisory Committee – Kinsella

Members leading the “External Committees”:

• CodeRVA Regional High School – Shea
• Henrico County Self-Insurance Trustees Committee – Shea
• Henrico County Vocational/Technical Education Foundation – Irving
• Henrico Education Foundation – Irving
• Henrico Police Athletic League – Young
• Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School – Atkins

The board also approved a $535,234 construction contract to replace chillers at Gayton Elementary and a $18.9 million construction contract to renovate Adams Elementary, along with two grants that would boost environmental education programs at Longan Elementary and the Academy at Virginia Randolph.

The school board will next meet for a work session at 3 p.m. on Jan. 25 and for a monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. that same day.

* * *

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.