Florida voters say no to school board partisanship, yes to school taxes
The big story: Voters across Florida had their say on how they want their public education system to work going forward.
Partisan elections ... Statewide, they rejected a proposal to inject more partisan politics into the system. An amendment that would have reversed voters' 1998 decision to have non-partisan school board elections failed to meet the 60% threshold needed for passage, though it did gain 55% of the vote.
A common view during the election cycle was that even with non-partisan elections, candidates' viewpoints on critical issues were well known. High-level officials in both the Republican and Democrat parties, as well as high-profile organizations, endorsed those who shared their views.
School board races .... Six board candidates who had Gov. Ron DeSantis' backing appeared on the ballot Tuesday, having advanced from their August primaries. Four won and two lost. Among those races, Pinellas County voters looked past the governor's endorsement, selecting Katie Blaxberg to succeed Carol Cook on their board. • Hernando County voters chose Michelle Bonczek over a candidate who had DeSantis' support, Suncoast News reports.
Hillsborough County incumbent Lynn Gray, whom DeSantis targeted for defeat, won reelection against a candidate who was backed by conservative groups but not formally by DeSantis.
Meanwhile, voters in Brevard (Florida Today), Miami-Dade (Miami Herald), Lee (Fort Myers News-Press), and Volusia (Daytona Beach News Journal) sent DeSantis-backed candidates to their school boards. • Duval County candidate Reginald Blount won a seat with the backing of Moms for Liberty to secure a DeSantis-sought conservative majority on that board, Jacksonville Today reports.
Referendums ... Voters also showed a willingness to tax themselves as a way to help improve their school districts, pushing back against arguments that officials should cut current spending and reset priorities instead. Across the state, 21 of 22 tax referendums passed, with only Gadsden County narrowly rejecting a sales tax proposal, as the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Hillsborough voters offered one of the biggest turnarounds on the referendum front, approving a local-option property tax they had turned down two years earlier. • Pinellas voters agreed to double the rate of their school property tax referendum. • Other school districts in the greater Tampa Bay region, including Hernando , Manatee and Sarasota counties (Herald-Tribune), also won renewal of their tax initiatives.
Other districts winning approval for new school taxes include St. Johns County (Florida Times-Union), Palm Beach County (Palm Beach Post) and Marion County (Ocala Star-Banner).
Superintendents ... In Florida, about two-thirds of districts still choose their superintendents in partisan elections. Among the highlights of those races, Pasco County voters chose former state lawmaker John Legg , a charter school operator, to replace retiring superintendent Kurt Browning. • Leon County incumbent Rocky Hanna, who often was criticized by DeSantis, handily defeated a challenge to win another term , the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Lee County voters picked Denise Carlin to become their first elected superintendent since 1974, WINK reports. • Former Leon superintendent Jackie Pons won election to lead Jefferson County schools , which he helped lead out of state oversight, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Legislature ... Education remains under local direction. But state lawmakers set the tone with their legislation. On Tuesday, the Republicans maintained their legislative supermajority .
In other education news
After the storm: Pasco County schools will extend four early-release days in 2025 to make up for time lost to hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Another storm? Monroe County schools canceled classes Wednesday as Tropical Storm Rafael advanced, the Miami Herald reports.
Second chances: An Orange County teacher who hated school as a child works to make sure students don't fall through the cracks , Spectrum 13 reports.
From the police blotter ... A Pinellas County teen was hospitalized after shooting herself on a school bus .
Don't miss a story. Here's a link to yesterday's roundup .
