The big story: The first round of Florida’s school board elections ended Tuesday, with the results largely indicating that a majority of voters who showed up in the low-turnout primary wanted something other than the culture war politics that many candidates offered.
In Broward County, another Democrat stronghold, two board members appointed by DeSantis failed in their election bids, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
In Polk County, an incumbent board member swatted down a challenge by a former leader of the conservative Christian Moms for America group, the Ledger reports.
Candidates promoting the DeSantis/Moms for Liberty agenda did have some bright spots.
In Duval County, for instance, two of three Moms for Liberty/DeSantis supported candidates won board seats, maintaining the board’s Republican majority, Jacksonville Today reports.
“We flipped the Duval school board, for example, which is a huge result.
Student transportation: The Orange County school district is offering bonuses up to $16,000 for new bus drivers, as it tries to fill about 100 vacancies, WMFE reports.
• Broward County school district officials are investigating how an 8-year-old student with autism was dropped off three miles from school when he wasn’t supposed to take any bus, WTVJ reports.
The main story: Tuesday marked the conclusion of the first round of Florida’s school board elections. The majority of voters who participated in the low-turnout primary seemed to be disinterested in the politics of the culture war that several candidates ran on.
Among the 23 candidates that Gov. Of them, Ron DeSantis, eleven were defeated, and at least five more advanced to the runoffs. While the candidate DeSantis supported in Pasco narrowly lost to a teacher with prior ties to the Florida Freedom to Read Project, the incumbents in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties repelled attempts by newcomers to flip their boards.
The controversial conservative Moms for Liberty organization gained its wings in Indian River County, where the governor’s hand-picked board member was defeated, and his decision to remove a St. TC Palm reports that the incumbent from Lucie County was unable to gain momentum.
The Herald-Tribune reports that the candidate the governor supported for reelection lost in Sarasota County, and the incumbent whom DeSantis sought to remove prevailed.
Outside of the races where DeSantis formally commented, there was also pushback.
According to Florida Politics, a candidate with connections to Moms for Liberty narrowly lost to a candidate supported by progressive Democrats in Orange County, a more liberal area where DeSantis did not offer endorsements. According to the Sun-Sentinel, two board members DeSantis nominated in Broward County, a Democrat stronghold, lost their elections. According to the Ledger, an incumbent board member in Polk County defeated a challenger who had led the conservative Christian Moms for America group in the past.
Two of the three Moms for Liberty/DeSantis-backed candidates in Duval County, for example, were successful in winning board seats, preserving the Republican majority on the board, according to Jacksonville Today. The Miami Herald notes that an incumbent supported by DeSantis led the field in Miami-Dade County but was destined for a runoff, which would determine the board’s majority until November. According to the Fort Myers News-Press, out of the three candidates who received DeSantis’ endorsement, two emerged victorious in Lee County, and the third is moving on to the general election.
The governor’s team viewed the evening’s outcomes as a success, according to a DeSantis spokesperson.
“We achieved significant progress in the previous cycle, and this involved pushing the boundaries and triumphing in challenging races,” a representative named Taryn Fenske emailed the Tampa Bay Times. For instance, we achieved a major victory by flipping the Duval school board. Every race that we sponsored was a difficult task. We didn’t limit our support to races that were likely to be won. Reversing culture and policy in that way is not possible. “.
The superintendent races . are noteworthy. The Republican primary for Pasco County superintendent was won by former state senator and charter school operator John Legg. He will go up against an independent in November. • The Tallahassee Democrat reports that incumbent Leon County superintendent Rocky Hanna easily won his Democratic primary and will face an independent in November. • Scott Hebert, the assistant superintendent of Citrus County, won the seat that Sam Himmel had occupied for the previous 20 years, according to Florida Politics. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, incumbent Edyie Tricquet lost her primary and will now be replaced as the superintendent of Jefferson County schools.
hot subjects.
Cell phones: As part of the district’s crackdown on unapproved use of the devices during class, WPTV reports that nearly 300 Martin County students had their phones and other electronic devices seized from them at school.
Chaplains: News Service of Florida reports that the Florida Department of Education released a model policy for school districts to take into consideration when deciding whether to permit religious chaplains to offer counseling to students whose parents consent. Despite legislative approval, the idea has not taken off in the majority of districts.
Land sale: After it became apparent that the FAA would not approve the proposed land sale to New College, the Sarasota-Manatee airport authority withdrew it, according to WUSF.
Security: The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that as part of the district’s recently adopted code of conduct, Volusia County students will be randomly searched using metal detectors.
Student transportation: According to WMFE, the Orange County school district is trying to fill about 100 bus driver positions by offering bonuses of up to $16,000. The Broward County school district is looking into the circumstances surrounding the three-mile drop-off of an eight-year-old autistic student, who wasn’t supposed to ride any buses, according to WTVJ.
Never miss a narrative. For yesterday’s roundup, click this link.
