The race for the District Three seat on the Rockingham County School Board has intensified, with a growing divide in county Republican support between two of the three candidates. In the first of a two-part series, WMRA’s Bridget Manley reports on the background of incumbent candidate Matt Cross, and how support has shifted after several controversial actions.
School board member Matt Cross ignited controversy again this month after sharing a video of Rocktown High School students fighting in a school bathroom, without blurring the faces of underage students or editing the video for privacy.
His actions ignited outrage online. Harrisonburg City Public Schools and the HCPS board chair, Emma Phillips, released statements condemning his actions. Three members of the Republican-leaning Rockingham County School Board condemned the post last Monday night at a confrontational board meeting.
Cross has been no stranger to controversy over his tenure on the board. Since his first run for the seat in 2021, he has been at the center of several firestorms, leading to local Republican dissatisfaction with his governance style, and a desire for alternative options in this year’s election.
Cross has attracted criticism from both sides of the aisle for inflammatory social media posts, high absentee rates for board meetings, accumulating more than $9,000 in fines for failing to file campaign finance reports, and even a scuffle with a parent at a youth baseball game that was shared on social media.
Enter Hilary Irons, a former teacher and mother of Rockingham County students who ran against Cross in his first election. She decided to run for the seat again this year, seeking the Republican endorsement and positioning herself as a conservative candidate with a more pragmatic, thoughtful approach.
That has led several high-profile county Republicans to change their support to Irons.
LEILA LONGCOR: I believe that there is a divide in that, and it’s never been about any of the votes that Mr. Cross has taken. It has truly just been about performance.
Rockingham County Supervisor Leila Longcor says that a growing divide is emerging in the Republican Party over the District Three race, with more voters shifting towards Irons.
LONGCOR: From showing up and having that accountability of being on time and present is really important when you represent your constituents, and also too, you have to do your homework. You have to do all the work required to be an elected official, which means turning in your reports in a timely manner and not being fined by the electoral board.
Cross faced $9,200 in fines in July for failing to file campaign finance reports going back to 2021. The fines, which Cross has not yet paid, were sent to Commonwealth's Attorney Marcia Garst for further action by the Rockingham County Electoral Board.
The board reported that it hasn't heard from Cross since the fines were issued. Cross has since filed an appeal with the Virginia Department of Elections, according to Andrea Gaines, external affairs manager for the department.
Cross has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Another point of contention for many in Rockingham County is his attendance record.
According to a Freedom of Information Act request, in 2025, Cross was absent for 11 regular and special meetings, including their yearly retreat, out of a total of 36 meetings. He was late or left early for an additional eight meetings. Cross has missed seven of the 11 Massanutten Technical Center executive board meetings since 2022.
Although the school board is technically non-partisan, Republicans have begun endorsing candidates. This summer, the endorsement process itself became a source of controversy. Irons, who won the Republican Women of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County endorsement in June, also sought the endorsement of Rockingham County Republicans.
Matt Dale is a candidate for Rockingham County Supervisor and the former chair of the District Three County Republicans.
Following a September 1st meeting in which Cross finally secured an endorsement for reelection, Dale resigned as chair of District Three.
MATT DALE: I was told in no uncertain terms by Mr. Cross and several other members of his faction that if I was not able to give my full-throated support to our endorsed candidate, that I was not doing my job as the chairman, representing the will of the majority of the committee, because it was made very clear to me that they would remove me if I did not voluntarily do so.
Cross also raised eyebrows in early summer when a story leaked on social media about an altercation he had with another parent at a high school baseball game. Cross confirmed on social media that an incident had happened, but implied that the opposing team's player and his family were the aggressors.
Cross and Irons are joined by a third candidate – Lauren Mullen. In part two of our report, we will look at how the candidates position themselves and how that will shape the 2025 election.
