By Tom St. Myer
School board candidates for Escambia Districts 4 and 5 and Santa Rosa District 2 shared their opinions on hot-button issues Wednesday night at the Community Candidate Forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters at the Pensacola Library. The format gave each of the 10 candidates one minute to answer questions and one minute each for opening and closing statements.
Escambia County
Escambia County has two vacant school board positions after Patty Hightower (District 4) and Bill Slayton (District 5) decided not to seek re-election.
District 4 candidates Carissa Bergosh, Richard Holzknecht, Earle McAuley, and Brian Ranelli answered questions about recruiting and retaining students, access to literature in school libraries that respect multicultural society, what programs they support to ensure students have equal opportunity to succeed, and whether school superintendents should be appointed or elected.
Each candidate stressed the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers. Their recommendations ranged from ensuring students are disciplined appropriately to increasing funding for professional development to offering financial incentives for teachers who earn micro-credentials.
Three of the candidates touched on access to literature in school libraries, following state statute. A business executive, Ranelli, said, “It troubles me that literacy rates in Escambia County are lower than neighboring counties in Northwest Florida.” He then recommended the school district turn to successful nonprofit reading programs for a blueprint and establish an advisory council consisting of parents and teachers.
When asked about programs he supports, McAuley pitched the idea of pairing the highest-performing students with at-risk students for a mentoring program. The 2023 Gulf Breeze High School Teacher of the Year said, “We have to do more to help the most disadvantaged students.”
A realtor and U.S. Navy veteran, Holzknecht recommended pairing disadvantaged students with surrogates, noting a significant percentage live in households without fathers. He further recommended bringing in community mentors.
Bergosh and McAuley both said they favor maintaining the current system in which the school board appoints the superintendent. Holzknecht said he prefers returning to letting voters determine the superintendent. He cited former Supt. Tim Smith as being “180 degrees out of sync with conservatives of Northwest Florida.”
A former teacher and guidance counselor, Bergosh served one year on the Escambia school board after being appointed by then Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
District 5 candidates Thomas Harrell, Joshua Luther and Jim Taylor answered questions on how to improve failing schools, bullying, preparation to be a school board member, how to resolve the issue of banned books and building positive relationships with local legislators.
Taylor incited a few disapproving moans from the crowd with his bullying stance. He said, “When you commit any act against any child, you are no longer a staff member, and you no longer go to school with kids.” He recommended that children who are disciplined for bullying be forced to attend school from 4-9 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays.
Harrell answered the bullying question by stating that 25% of students in the Escambia school district received referrals this past school year, and the answer to the problem starts with principals. Harrell served as a principal at Escambia Westgate School and R.C. Lipscomb Elementary. He said, “Bullying is one of those things a principal can take care of in an individual school. You have to have a strong, firm hand right up front.”
Harrell and Taylor each touted their long careers in education. Taylor spent 44 years in education as a teacher and coach of middle school and high school sports teams.
Luther does not have teaching experience. He answered each question by recommending the school district put God first in its decision-making process and limit government interference. He said, “Families and churches are not doing their jobs. The problem is not submitting to God’s word. It’s keeping the government in its lane so you have the resources to help your neighbor.”
All three of the candidates supported strictly enforcing the banning of books, particularly those that they said contained pornography.
Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County District 2 incumbent Elizabeth Hewey and challenger Oscar Locklin each participated in the forum. Fellow candidate Mariya Calkins was absent.
An attorney with a law practice in Pace, Locklin emphasized he is the father of four daughters currently attending Santa Rosa schools. Hewey responded that she considers every student in the school district to be her child.
Hewey touted that the Santa Rosa Education Professionals endorsed her for the seat and that she campaigned by knocking on 6,224 doors.
When asked about ensuring transparency and accountability particularly concerning contentious issues, Locklin noted that the school board meetings feel rushed and rarely if ever does someone vote no. He said, “The first issue is to have meaningful conversation on the dais between school board members. The school board members should make it clear how they feel.” Hewey said she supports monthly workshops to “look at in-depth issues.”
The two candidates disagreed when asked if charter and private schools should be held to the same standards as schools that receive public tax dollars. Hewey said, “Yes” while Locklin said, “I absolutely advocate for student choice. Parents should be able to educate their children as they see fit. I’m for funding students’ education, not the county public school system.”
Only one of the two District 4 candidates participated in the forum. Incumbent Charlie Elliott answered the same questions as the District 2 candidates. Elliott is running against challenger Angie Straughn.
The primary election is August 20. Early voting in Santa Rosa begins August 5. Early voting in Escambia begins August 10.