Key Points

Three seats are open on the Augusta County School Board, with two contested races.

David Shiflett is running unopposed for reelection in the Middle River District.

The Pasture District race is a rematch between incumbent Timothy Simmons and John Ocheltree.

Three candidates, Butch Wells, Daniel Whitmire, and Daniel Ferraro, are vying for the open Beverley Manor District seat.

There are three open seats for the Augusta County School Board in November and two of the races will be contested. The deadline to file as a candidate and appear on the ballot was June 17.

In the Middle River District, current school board chair David Shiflett will be running unopposed on the ballot. Shiflett is running for a seventh term. A farmer and former agriculture teacher at both Riverheads and Fort Defiance high school, Shiflett has served on the board since 2004.

The Middle River District includes three precincts — Crimora, New Hope and Weyers Cave.

In the Pasture District, incumbent Timothy Simmons will be challenged by John Ocheltree. If you're experiencing deja vu it's because those two ran against one another in 2021. Simmons unseated Ocheltree, who was running for a fifth term on the board. This year Ocheltree will try regain his seat.

Simmons won by just 144 votes, the caveat being that there was a third candidate in 2021. Nick Astarb pulled in 573 votes that year. There are only two candidates on the ballot this year in the Pastures.

The Pastures District includes five precincts — Buffalo Gap, Churchville Elementary, Craigsville, Deerfield and Cedar Green.

There are three candidates in the Beverley Manor District. Incumbent Donna Wells won't be seeking reelection, but her husband, Butch Wells, will run for the seat. The former Staunton police chief has been serving on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, but decided this year he would run for the open school board seat.

He'll face two newcomers to Augusta County politics — Daniel Whitmire and Daniel Ferraro. Whitmire is a design principal with Moseley Architects. Ferraro, according to this campaign's Facebook page, is an educator currently working as a special education teacher with Stride K12, a virtual school.

The Beverley Manor District includes four precincts — Jolivue, Stuarts Draft Elementary, Verona and Wilson.

The general election is Nov. 4 and early voting begins Sept. 19. The deadline to register to vote or update exisiting registration is Oct. 14. To register, complete and submit a Virginia Voter Registration Application. Applications may be obtained and submitted at the local voter registration office, or through online application submission through the Virginia Department of Elections.

For more information contact Augusta County's registrar's office by email registrar@co.augusta.va.usor phone 540-245-5656.

— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.