The Norfolk School Board will soon welcome Nichelle Stone to serve for the next year.
Stone was appointed in a unanimous vote Wednesday night to fill the Ward 5 seat vacated by Lauren Campsen in September.
Stone, a paralegal at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, will serve until Dec. 31 2024, following a special election in November 2024. According to a division release, Stone has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in religious studies from the College of William & Mary. She also graduated high school from Norfolk Public Schools.
“Thank you to the board for having faith in me,” Stone told The Virginian-Pilot following the vote.
During her interview last week, Stone said she believed some of the issues the division is facing is chronic absenteeism and a teacher shortage.
“The board has done a lot of work,” Stone said, adding that she hopes she can provide further support in accomplishing these goals.
Ultimately, she said the division’s primary goal is to have students prepared to contribute to the community.
“We are excited to continue the work of the school division with Ms. Stone,” board chair Adale Martin said in a statement. “We welcome her fresh perspective and her dedication to the students of Norfolk Public Schools, along with her commitment to a focus on excellent student outcomes.”
Stone said she has not decided if she will run in the special election to serve the remainder of Campsen’s term in 2026.
Last week, the board interviewed four candidates to fill the Ward 5 seat, which covers much of Oceanview and Azalea Gardens areas. The other candidates considered were Bryan Mackey, Stephen Jones and Ruth Cookson.
Kelsey Kendall, kelsey.kendall@virginiamedia.com
