Rita Bellitto

Editorial Summary

(From the candidate) Rita Sweet Bellitto has served on the Virginia Beach School Board for four years, the last two as Vice-Chairman of the Board. Rita is running for re-election to an at-large seat on the Virginia Beach School Board. She first moved to Virginia Beach in 1987 to work for the City of Virginia Beach as a staff engineer on the Lake Gaston Water Supply Project. Over the last twenty years, her service to our community has been long-standing, extensive, and continuing. In her first term, Rita has led the Board in the process of transitioning to full-day kindergarten for all students, by upgrading 62 sections of kindergarten in our elementary schools to extended day kindergarten. She also spear-headed efforts to successfully complete and begin implementation of a long range facilities plan to renovate thirty of our oldest school buildings. In addition to her work on the School Board, Rita also serves as a member of the Executive Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia. She has been married to Captain Bob Bellitto, USN for over sixteen years and their two children attend school in the VBCPS system. Rita holds a B.S. in Biology from Bucknell University, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Troy State University. She currently does part-time consulting and full-time running of a Navy family, in addition to her duties on the School Board. Rita will continue to make decisions as a member of the Virginia Beach School Board based on what is in the best interests of our students.