CARRSVILLE—Incumbent Kenneth Bunch faces opposition in the November election for the Carrsville District seat on the Isle of Wight County School Board.

Retired State Trooper Debbie Hall filed qualifying papers to oppose Bunch, who has been an Isle of Wight County resident for 30 years and has served on the school board since May 2004. He was elected to a full four-year term in November 2005.

A former teacher and current business director at Community Electric Cooperative, Bunch said he hopes the school board will be able to continue budgeting and providing the same opportunities to county students as in the past.

“The hardest thing I see right now is for us to provide the same services to students in the next coming years,” said Bunch.

“The future doesn’t look pretty.”

Federal stimulus monies that have come in have helped but are only good through 2010, said Bunch.

“We’ve just got to figure out a different way to get things done,” Bunch added.

A 19-year veteran trooper with the Virginia State Police before retiring, Hall has filled various roles in the county school system, including substitute teacher, attendant on a special needs bus and bus driver.

Also a longtime county resident, Hall said her priorities are to “improve communication within the school system, including students, parents and teachers, as well as administration.”

Hall said she believes that expanding The Learning Center preschool program to Carrsville Elementary School is an important issue for the school system.

“With the reduced funding that we are anticipating, our most important task is to ensure that the quality of education is not compromised,” said Hall.

Voters will go to the polls Nov. 3.