Desmond Smith, 42, of North, has announced his candidacy for a seat on the Mathews County School Board. He is one of two incumbents running for the board.
Smith said he had great teachers and mentors in Mathews while growing up, and he wants to pay that back. When he was approached to run for his first term in 2019, he said, “it was a dream come true for me,” and he has since served as vice chair and chair.
“I have been running the school board meetings and working with the superintendent to develop an agenda,” he said. “The school board also collaborates with the board of supervisors, particularly when it comes to budget planning … I have worked hard to make sure the board of supervisors has a clear picture of what the school system’s budget needs really are.”
Smith said he’s interested in bringing some balance to the board in order to assess the needs of the school system and find solutions. To be competitive, Mathews needs to offer school facilities that compare favorably to the sch...