Three candidates qualify for DCS Board of Education seats

Sept. 9, 2024 – Friday was the deadline for candidates to qualify for the two DeSoto County Schools Board of Education seats that will be up for election on Nov. 5. Three candidates were able to qualify and will be on the ballot.  

The seats that will be on the ballot are in District 3 and District 4. DeSoto County Schools in recent years moved to stagger their board member elections so the entire five-person board is not up for election at the same time.  

Both incumbents in Districts 3 and 4 will be running for re-election. 

Jerald Wheeler is running unopposed for the District 3 seat on the Board of Education. Wheeler has been on the school board since October 2022 when Ann Jolley retired from the board. 

Wheeler was with Southaven Police Department for 32 years; 24 years as a School Resource Officer in the Southaven area schools. Since retiring in 2017, Wheeler is the mentor for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Public Safety Cadets and VIPS.

Sheila Riley, a board member since 2018, is a candidate for re-election in District 4. Riley is a lifelong DeSoto county resident and graduate of DeSoto County Schools. She said on a Facebook post announcing her candidacy that she will continue voting for increased salaries for teachers and support staff, supporting school resource officers in the schools, and will be opposed to tax increases. 

“The citizens of District 4 need a champion to represent them, and I am willing to continue to fight for our students, our citizens, and our  employees,” Riley wrote.  

Riley will have an opponent challenger in the November election, as Todd Mayo  of Hernando has also qualified as a candidate. 

Mayo’s background includes 17 years as a high school administrator, 11 years as a teacher, and one year as  Youth Services Coordinator for DeSoto County Youth Court. Mayo is now retired. 

In a Facebook post, Mayo said he would reflect the conservative values he was raised on.  

“Our children deserve to be educated in a truly safe, clean, and positive environment,” Mayo wrote. “We must strive to make our schools a place students want to be.  As our county grows, we must have the courage to develop and enforce policies that protect our children and the county’s future.” 

Mayo added he has a devotion to help others and provide the brightest future he can for those he serves.