F.C. Bulletin: School Board Election Recount?; Library's New Digital Archive; FY '26 Arts & Humanities Grants
Nov. 4 School Board Elections: Recount Likely Says City Election Registrar Bjerke
Despite the Falls Church News-Press's claims yesterday that "Falls Church voters elected five members to the Falls Church City School Board in Tuesday's election," the five candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot – incumbents Vice Chair Kathleen Tysse, Anne Sherwood, and Lori Silverman, and aspirants, MaryKate "MK" Hughes and Sharon Mergler – were actually running for only four open seats.
The News-Press provided the following vote totals in the race:
- MK Hughes — 4,498
- Anne Sherwood — 3,925
- Lori Silverman — 3,820
- Kathleen Tysse — 3,425*
- Sharon Mergler — 3,419
*[Following this story's publication yesterday Nov. 6, we received a correction from Vice Chair Tysse – which was confirmed in this morning's Focus on Falls Church newsletter and in the ARLNow article referenced below – that her vote tally was actually 3,475 rather than 3,425.]
But the News-Press failed to mention that provisional and absentee ballots were still being counted and there's a likelihood that a vote recount will take place among the candidates with the two lowest vote totals, Vice Chair of the School Board Kathleen Tysse and teacher Sharon Mergler.
Yesterday, ARLNow reported School Board election results with somewhat different vote totals than the News-Press, and indicated that only 56 votes separated Tysse's and Mergler's vote tallies, while close to three times that number of provisional and absentee ballots had yet to be tallied.
“We’re probably going to have a recount,” Director of Elections & General Registrar of Voters for the City of Falls Church David Bjerke said at yesterday's "Electoral Board canvass of the vote totals," according to ARLNow.
"The final results in the School Board race won’t be known until Wednesday, Nov. 12, when the Electoral Board adds in provisional and mail-in ballots," ARLNow continued. "Collectively, that could add up to 150 ballots, causing the differential between Tysse and Mergler to tighten or expand.... If Tysse and Mergler end up separated by less than 1% of the total School Board vote, the candidate with the lower vote total could seek a recount."
Meanwhile, many City residents are surprised that of the five women running, non-incumbent MaryKate "MK" Hughes turned out to be the highest vote-getter in the race, while the current Vice Chair of the School Board Kathleen Tysse – a possible future successor to outgoing Chair Dr. Tate Gould (retiring) – is narrowly holding on to a fourth place finish.
"We did it! I’m so excited to serve our city!!," posted MaryKate "MK" Hughes on Instagram yesterday.
On Facebook, incumbent Lori Silverman also posted yesterday, saying: "Thank you Falls Church City! Yesterday, I was re-elected to the School Board. We’ve done some really great work over the past four years, and I’m ready to continue supporting our students, keeping class sizes small, and ensuring we attract and retain the best teachers and staff!...."
Sharon Mergler also took to Instagram to post the following grateful graphic:
We could not yet find social media postings from Vice Chair Kathleen Tysse or re-election winner Anne Sherwood.
Yesterday morning, Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) posted on their Morning Announcements a congratulatory message to the top-four vote-getters in the School Board race, leaving aside the possibility that either non-incumbent Sharon Mergler or Vice Chair Kathleen Tysse could request a recount and win the final open seat after Nov. 12.
Here's FCCPS's Morning Announcement:
Four Members Elected to FCCPS School Board
"Congratulations to our School Board members who will begin new terms in January: MaryKate "MK" Hughes, Anne Sherwood, Lori Silverman, and Kathleen Tysse. We welcome MaryKate Hughes, a former Oak Street Elementary teacher, to the board and thank incumbents Anne Sherwood, Lori Silverman, and Kathleen Tysse for their continued service to our community."
"We appreciate all candidates who participated in this democratic process and thank our FCCPS families and community members for their civic engagement. Together, we look forward to continued collaborative excellence in serving our students."
The Falls Church Independent congratulates the winning candidates and wishes the best to Vice Chair Kathleen Tysse and Sharon Mergler as the provisional and absentee ballots are counted.
After Nov. 12, we'll see which candidate has gained the final open seat.
For an in-depth profile of each of the five School Board candidates, see our recent candidate profiles below:
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Mary Riley Styles Public Library Launches Digital Archive of Falls Church History
Mary Riley Styles Public Library (MRSPL) is excited to announce the official launch of its Digital Archive of the Falls Church History Room at archive.mrspl.org, according to a Nov. 5 City press release.
Following is from the press release:
Providing online access to a wide range of local history materials, this new digital archive features photographs, obituaries and death notices, Civil War letters, oral history recordings, City Council minutes, City budgets, local newsletters, and other significant historical documents.
"Our new Digital Archive represents a significant leap forward in preserving and sharing the City of Falls Church’s unique history," notes Library Director, Megan Dotzler. "By making these materials easily accessible online, we are empowering our community to discover and connect with its past in meaningful ways and ensuring that these invaluable records are preserved for future generations."
The Digital Archive, which is funded by the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation, is the result of years of dedicated effort by MRSPL and City staff, local historians, and volunteers who meticulously cataloged, scanned, and transcribed these historical materials. The Digital Archive is and will be a growing document collection with ongoing efforts to digitize and add more historical documents, books, and organizational reports.
Noteworthy Collections in the Digital Archive:
- Extensive Photo Collection: Over 8,000 digitized photographs capturing various aspects of Falls Church's history, from its early days to more recent times
- Civil War Letters and Diaries: Over 200 Civil War era letters, diaries, and documents, many written from Falls Church locations like Upton’s Hill and Munson’s Hill
- City Council Minutes: An archive of City Council Minutes from 1948-2011
- Local Newsletters: Newsletters reflecting community voices and chronicling local events and happenings, including the City’s Focus on Falls Church and the Bulletin of the League of Women Voters of Falls Church
- Obituaries and Death Notices: Nearly 16,000 Falls Church-area death notices and obituaries, a valuable resource for genealogical research and understanding the lives of past residents
- Oral Histories: Over 100 recordings collected by the local historian H.H. Douglas between 1965 and 1982
Key Digital Archive Features
- 24/7 Access: Accessible anytime from any device (phone, tablet, computer)
- Full-Text Searching: Browse or keyword search across all collections, or limit searches by specific criteria (e.g. date, subject, format)
- Personalized Logins: Ability to create a personalized login to save searches
- Links to Additional Resources: Links to other helpful resources for anyone researching Falls Church history
Learn More About the Digital Archive
To explore the Digital Archive, please visit the website: archive.mrspl.org.
In December 2025, MRSPL will also hold two open Orientation Sessions about the Digital Archive in the library’s Main Level Conference Room:
- Wednesday, December 10, at 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 13, at 2:00 p.m.
To learn more about these sessions, please visit www.mrspl.org/events.
For more info go to: www.mrspl.org.
City of Falls Church Announces Arts & Humanities Grant Recipients for FY '26
Following is based on a press release from the City of Falls Church:
Monday, November 3, 2025 – The City of Falls Church is pleased to announce the awardees of its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) Arts and Humanities Grant Program. This annual grant supports activities, programs, events, and strategies that encourage arts, history, and cultural education — and strengthen the vitality of these efforts in the City and the greater community.
This year’s recipient list reflects diverse disciplines and community-oriented projects aligned with the program goals: stimulating excellence in the arts/theatre/culture/history; encouraging cultural and ethnic diversity; enhancing quality of life by supporting educational advancement, broad audience access, and economic development.
For FY2026, the City awarded a total of $48,500 to seven organizations representing a wide range of disciplines, including visual arts, music, theater, literature, and history.
FY2026 Project Grant Awards:
- Creative Cauldron – Bold New Voices Festival
- Little City Concerts– Third Season
- StudioEDU – Student Courses
- CATCH Foundation – Watch Night Celebration
- Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation – Juneteenth Celebration
- Washington Sinfonietta – Holiday Concert
FY2026 Operational Grant Awards:
- Creative Cauldron
- Falls Church Arts
- Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
- Washington Sinfonietta
The Arts & Humanities Grant Program is administered by the City’s Recreation & Parks Department. Applications are reviewed by City staff and a volunteer Grant Review Committee composed of residents with professional experience in the arts and grantmaking. The FY2026 grant cycle was highly competitive, with applications reviewed by a panel of arts and humanities professionals. Funding decisions were based on artistic merit, community impact, and alignment with City priorities for cultural development.
Visit the City of Falls Church website for more information about the Arts & Humanities Grant Program or upcoming funding opportunities.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion