Janet Ward

Buket Urgen

As of January 2, 2026, Janet Ward’s website did not contain information on this issue.

School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Dianne Eldreth

Supports fully funding public schools and ensuring teachers and school staff are treated with dignity and respect.

As of January 2, 2026, Dianne Eldreth’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Shane E. Little

Shane E. Little's campaign for Ashe County Board of Education member is his first time running for public office.

Candidates - Ashe County

As of January 2, 2026, Shane E. Little’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Wes Calbreath

Wes is a program coordinator for the GEAR UP program at Appalachian State University. He works at Appalachian State University, where he supports school systems in 17 counties along the Tennessee border, including Ashe County. He previously worked as a teacher in kindergarten, second grade and middle school English; as a math facilitator twice; as a school counselor for 12 years in K-5, K-8 and 9-12 schools; and as a district specialist in student behavior.

Calbreath discusses bullying, transparency in school board race ...

As of January 2, 2026, Wes Calbreath’s website did not contain information on this issue.

For Candidate Wes Calbreath on Issue school-curriculum: Supports building essential skills alongside traditional subjects, including adaptability, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, empathy, and personal responsibility, as identified by the business community.

For Candidate Wes Calbreath on Issue student-wellbeing: Believes in addressing bullying and ensuring a secure environment for students.

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 