Two candidates for open Polk County School Board seat tout deep connections to district

For the first time in 20 years, an election is guaranteed to produce a new member of the Polk County School Board in District 2.

Lori Cunningham, who has served five terms, decided not to seek reelection. Two candidates are vying for the open seat: Travis Keyes and Marcus “M.J.” Wright Jr., both of Haines City.

District 2 contains 19 schools in northeast Polk County. Candidates must live in the district, though voting takes place countywide.

Vote-by-mail ballots have already gone out for the nonpartisan election, one of three School Board races being held this year. Early voting begins Aug. 10, and traditional voting will take place Aug. 20.

Travis Keyes

Keyes, 43, graduated from Haines City High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Palm Beach Atlantic University. A commercial banker, he has two daughters attending Davenport School for the Arts.

Keyes has volunteered for years in an array of positions with Polk County Public Schools . He is currently chair of the district’s Finance and Audit Committee and co-chair of the Attendance Boundary Committee. He served on the search committee that recommended Frederick Heid, hired in 2021 as superintendent of schools.

“It really is just my passion for education and making sure that all students have an equal opportunity and quality education,” Keyes said of his motivation for running. “For me, as far as my daughters, I see opportunities not readily available for them as they advance in their educational process, and so that prompted me to get involved.”

Keyes listed as his chief priorities school safety, parental choice, student achievement and financial accountability.

“What I would bring to the board is an established presence in the community,” he said. “I am in touch with the needs of the community. And I think also a business and professional acumen that would supplement the board, something that I wouldn't necessarily say is missing but definitely something added, having the connection to the business community.”

Pointing toward the rapid population growth in Polk County , Keyes said that some schools are overburdened while others are not fully utilized. He said the district could increase student density at some schools to lessen crowing at others.

The district needs to increase salaries for longtime teachers, Keyes said, but he does not favor imposing a property tax dedicated to that purpose, as the Polk Education Association has suggested.

“I'm not particularly a fan of raising taxes, or adding assessments on,” he said. “I think we need to start first with doing a comprehensive review of the current budget, which is now in the area $2.5 billion dollars, seeing where there's areas there that we could potentially save and reallocate and move toward increasing teacher salaries.”

Chronic absences among students have risen nationwide since the disruptions of the COVID pandemic, and schools in Polk County are grappling with the issue. Keyes said that schools need to offer curriculum — such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs — that stimulate student engagement .

He cited programs available at Davenport School of the Arts, such as digital art and music production, that generate excitement among students.

“So I think that's the key, is increasing programs that enhance the learning experience — and then letting the community, letting the parents, know about those opportunities, and making them available, more widespread throughout the county,” he said.

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Keyes described disruptive student behavior as symptomatic of societal problems. Teachers and administrators should feel confident in applying the district’s disciplinary policy, he said.

Keyes said he wants to address the frustrations he has heard from local teachers.

“Having kids in the system has sparked my desire and my passion to help,” he said. “I mean, you’ve got two options. You can sit on your hands and complain, or you can take action and get involved. And I'm a take-action person.”

Keyes has reported $55,860 in campaign contributions. Donors include former state senator J.D. Alexander; Steve Maxwell, co-founder of Citizens Defending Freedom; Polk County Commissioner Martha Santiago; and retired Publix executive Barney Barnett.

Marcus “M.J.” Wright Jr.

Wright, 25, graduated from Summerlin Academy in Bartow and holds a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Bethune-Cookman University. The son of a longtime teacher, he said that he previously worked for Polk County Public Schools on special projects and is now director of development for Talbot House Ministries in Lakeland.

If elected, Wright said, he would hold at least two town hall meetings a year and encourage district officials to attend.

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“I'm a firm believer that you cannot represent the people if you don't know what the people's needs are,” he said.

Wright said he wanted to address the perception that schools in District 2 do not receive the same district support as schools elsewhere in Polk County.

His campaign platform emphasizes allowing students to progress through special academic programs in their assigned schools. Praising the district for offering International Baccalaureate programs in some schools, Wright suggested placing IB preparatory elementary and middle schools in the same zones.

Wright said he would focus on strengthening connections between the community and the school district and seek ways to improve the morale of faculty and staff members. The district must find ways to boost pay for long-term teachers, he said, to reduce departures.

Wright said he is open to a conversation about a potential property tax assessment to generate money for teacher salaries, a revenue source used in some Florida counties. He said the district should also draw upon a recent efficiency audit to direct more money toward teacher pay.

Another plank of Wright’s platform emphasizes college and career readiness. He praised the district for adding trade-oriented programs at some schools, and he suggested offering the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test at Polk County schools to benefit students who want to enter the military. He also recommended expanding college and career fairs to include students as young as ninth grade.

Wright acknowledged that chronic truancy is a problem for some students. He said that his proposed town hall meetings could help by giving families a better idea of how the school district operates.

“I'm a big proponent on building relationships — building relationships with parents, building relationships with teachers and staff and definitely building relationships with our students,” he said. “I'm a big proponent of — this is just me speaking — if you build a relationship with this child, the child will want to come and hear from you. But if you don't have a relationship with that child, that child is more inclined not to want to hear anything that you have to say.”

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Some voters might question whether Wright has the experience to serve on the School Board at age 25, though current member Sara Beth Wyatt was 24 when first elected in 2016.

“If anything, I think that's a plus because I'm closer to the students which we serve age range,” Wright said. “I kind of have experienced some of the world that they have experienced, versus someone who may be a little bit older than me.”

Wright has reported $12,029 in campaign contributions. His donors include former Polk School Superintendent Jackie Byrd, former Polk County Public Schools lobbyist Wendy Dodge, Haines City lawyer Markeishia Smith and retired Polk Education Association President Marianne Capoziello.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13 .

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Two candidates for open Polk County School Board seat tout deep connections to district