Mary Kathryn Diggs, 74, has announced her candidacy for a seat on the Mathews County School Board.
Diggs said that running for a seat on the board was “not on my radar,” but having been involved with the public schools, she was concerned about Mathews losing good teachers to other districts year after year.
“A strong school system attracts families, as does a welcoming community and thriving businesses,” she said. “We have had all of that in the past, but the climate has changed.”
If elected, Diggs said her focus would be on retaining caring and qualified teachers and paying them sufficiently. Many people make decisions on where to live based on how good the school system is, she said, so strengthening the school system could attract more families, shoring up the tax base.
“A strong school system is an asset to all Mathews citizens,” she said.
A native of Mathews, Diggs said she is the middle of three girls whose parents “loved and guided with Christian values and ethics, for which we are all grateful.”
Diggs graduated from Mathews High School, then went to Ferrum Junior College before transferring to East Tennessee State University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in Health and Physical Education. Following a gap year abroad, she began her first teaching position in Nottoway County, but then felt God calling her into missions, she said, and she spent 12 years with Mercy Ships, serving the poor and needy in developing nations in the Caribbean and West Africa. In 1999, she came home to the U.S. for what she thought would be a two-month sabbatical, but realized she needed to remain here. She spent 16 years teaching in Gloucester before retiring in 2015, subsequently working several long-term substitute jobs in Gloucester and Mathews.
Diggs is one of six candidates seeking three open seats on the school board. Also running are incumbents Desmond A. Smith and Marianne “Mari” Gibbs, as well as Calvin G. Morgan, Sharon A. Frye and Tina Bull Broaddus. Diggs is one of three candidates endorsed by Mathews Citizens for the Common Good.
Diggs is involved with her church, Kingston Parish, and with the Fall Fair, which “raises considerable money” each year for organizations in Mathews.