Virginia Beach School Board · District 8

Safe schools.
Real learning.
Every dollar accounted for.

I'm Andy Baan — a Virginia Beach dad, a special-education parent, and a retired Navy Captain. I'm running for School Board because our children deserve a board focused on their education, not on personal political agendas.

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—
days until Election Day Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Andy Baan, candidate for Virginia Beach School Board, District 8

Andy Baan · Retired U.S. Navy Captain · VBCPS parent

25+Years calling Virginia Beach home
30Years of U.S. Navy service
2Children graduated from VBCPS
$1.2BSchool division budget to steward

Andy's Platform

Four priorities. No distractions.

Caring for our students, parents, and teachers through safety, academic excellence, and fiscal responsibility.

Safe Schools for Students and Teachers

Use modern practices to deter violence and combat threats — and protect our children's data.

Nothing else on this list matters if a child or a teacher does not feel safe walking through the door. Safety today also means what happens on a screen: our schools hold a great deal of personal information about our children, and it has to be guarded properly. This isn't theoretical for Andy — he holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and has worked as a consultant protecting children's data at CHKD. He spent a career where safety planning was a daily discipline, not an afterthought, and he will bring that same seriousness to every school in Virginia Beach.

Academic Excellence

Stop political indoctrination in classrooms and focus on learning.

Less "screen time," more teaching time. Our teachers are professionals who want to teach — they deserve a board that keeps the adults' politics out of the classroom and puts reading, writing, math, and science back at the center.

Fiscal Responsibility

Rein in the cost of new school buildings and prevent collective bargaining that spends more on unions than on children.

A $1.2 billion budget is your money. Every dollar spent on overhead is a dollar that never reaches a classroom. Andy will read the contracts, ask the hard questions, and expect a straight answer.

Support Special Education

I am a parent who knows how to advocate for children who learn differently. I will be a voice for them.

Andy is the father of a child with special needs. He has sat on the parent's side of the table, and he understands that children succeed when they are taught at their own ability level — not sorted and forgotten.

Andy Baan standing in front of an American flag on the Virginia Beach waterfront Andy Baan speaking to community members at a Virginia Beach meeting

Andy's Story

Meet Andy Baan — a servant leader, not a politician.

Andy Baan has proudly called Virginia Beach home for over 25 years. He is the father of two children who went all the way through Virginia Beach City Public Schools, both now graduated. As the parent of a child with special needs, Andy understands intimately that children learn in different ways, and that they succeed when they are taught to their own ability level.

Andy is a retired Navy Captain whose career was rooted in servant leadership and education. He was the commanding officer of multiple units — one of which was named “Best Small Unit in the Nation” with the Leo Bilger Award. His career included a deployment to Iraq, where he earned a Bronze Star for his performance in a war zone.

As a contractor he worked as an educator — developing curriculum, planning and executing complex missions, and training future leaders. While overseas, he volunteered as a teacher of elementary school children, helping non-native French-speaking children learn English.

In addition to his military service, Andy's experience as an attorney and a cybersecurity consultant equips him with the knowledge required to help govern Virginia Beach City Public Schools — a $1.2 billion organization.

“I am a parent who knows how to advocate for children who learn differently. I will be a voice for them.” — Andy Baan

Experience

Prepared for the job on day one.

Education

  • M.S., Cybersecurity — Norfolk State University
  • M.A., National Security & Strategic Studies — Naval War College
  • J.D. — Dickinson School of Law, Penn State
  • B.A. — University of Notre Dame

Service & Community

  • ODU Maritime School Advisory Council, Member
  • Rotary Club of Hampton Roads, Immediate Past President
  • VB Military Economic Advisory Committee, Appointee
  • Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, Volunteer
  • Eagle Scout

Career

  • Retired U.S. Navy Captain, 30 years of service
  • Commanding officer of multiple units
  • Bronze Star recipient, Iraq deployment
  • Attorney and cybersecurity consultant — including at CHKD, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, protecting children's data
  • Curriculum developer and instructor of future leaders

Get involved

Local races are won by neighbors.

A School Board race is decided by a few thousand votes in District 8. That means one conversation, one yard sign, one shared post genuinely moves the number. Pick whatever you have time for — even fifteen minutes helps.

Prefer to just say hello? Email andy@andybaan.com or call 757-708-5229.

Sign up to help

I'd like to…

Sends straight to Andy. He'll be in touch about what fits your schedule.

Make your vote count

Three dates to put on the fridge.

Andy is on the ballot for Virginia Beach School Board, District 8. School Board races sit near the bottom of a long ballot — please vote all the way down.

Sept 18 – Oct 31, 2026

Early in-person voting

Vote early at your local registrar's office. Early voting ends 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 31.

Friday, Oct 23, 2026

Registration & mail-ballot deadline

Last day to register or update your registration, and the last day to request a ballot by mail.

Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026

Election Day

Polls are open 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. If you're in line at 7:00 p.m., stay in line — you can vote.

Check your registration Find your polling place

Dates confirmed with the Virginia Department of Elections.

Get in touch

Andy reads every message.

Have a question about a school, a policy, or a problem your family is running into? Ask it. Andy would rather hear from you before the election than after.

Send Andy a message

Goes straight to andy@andybaan.com. He reads every message.

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