PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Conservatives are trying to maintain control of the Pasco County School Board.
There are incumbents and newcomers on the ballot this year, and political consultant Shawn Foster with Sunrise Consulting Group told ABC Action News reporter Erik Waxler that school board elections are getting more attention than ever before.
“Obviously people get riled up. They get riled up about their children’s education. They get riled up about politics. So you take those two and you merge them together and that’s what’s created this environment right now,” said Foster.
District One is open after the retirement of Allen Altman.
Al Hernandez, a healthcare executive and former professor, got an endorsement from Governor Ron DeSantis.
Business owner Stephen Meisman is also running saying he will remove the woke agenda and wants to be a strong voice for parents.
James Washington is a graduation enhancement teacher at Pasco High School and has won the county’s teacher of the year award twice. He wants to see more of a focus on the east side of the county.
Cynthia Armstrong is running to keep her seat in district three. She’s pushing for the property tax referendum to boost employee salaries and expand technical education.
Matt Geiger will try and unseat her. He’s the director of student services at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic school and became interested in joining the school board after struggling to find special education services for his own children.
Finally, District Five is where former teacher Megan Harding surprised many by winning in the last election. She wants to see raises for staff and wants to see parents more engaged and involved.
Retired chiropractor Charles Touselle is running against Harding. He wants to promote patriotism in the schools and stop what he calls forced indoctrination.
School board races may not get the publicity of other elections, but Foster said they mean a lot.
“School board members really direct a lot in our life, whether it’s the education and the policy for our students or actually tax items on how they put millage rates or taxing on your property,” said Foster.
Two school board members, Colleen Beaudoin in District 2 and Alison Crumbley in District 4, are not up for reelection.
