Leonardo Trent is youngest candidate in School Board race

PORT CHARLOTTE — As a class of 2024 Charlotte High School graduate, Leonardo Trent knows what’s going on in the classroom.

Now, the 19-year running for the School Board District 2 against Kim Amontree.

Trent, who lived in Charlotte County since 2014, said he has “considerable experience and inside knowledge” of the school system and classroom culture.

“This unique experience qualifies me as the best candidate for Charlotte County School Board,” he said.

Trent filed to run in the nonpartisan School Board race while still in high school. He founded and was president of the school’s Republican Club. He also promoted creating similar high school clubs across Southwest Florida.

Since then, he’s spoke to owners of several local small businesses, many with kids, about what the district needs.

“Their top concerns are always job readiness from recent graduates with no basic financial training,” he said. “They can’t count back the money they receive or don’t have basic social skills that takes with running a business.”

He said vocational and on-the-job training program opportunities for high school students will greatly expand Superintendent Mark Vianello’s career strategic plan.

Trent said violence or “constant fighting” among students in schools is a concern.

“Parents want to send their kids to safe schools and we need to make an effort to crack down on the rising violence on campus grounds,” he said.

Trent said the School Board is “closed off” regarding School Board meeting times, 9:30 a.m. workshop times, and accountability on the policies of the School Board.

He said the School Board members could change its meetings and workshops to 6:30 p.m. so parents and other taxpayers can “attend and engage” at them.

“At every meeting, School Board members need to answer questions from the attendees,” Trent said. “It’s not acceptable that meetings should be rushed through like it is right now, especially when it involves taxes going up.”

He said School Board members “don’t own” meetings.

“The people do,” he said. “I do not care if the meetings last an hour or two extra. If you are a School Board member, then you should be able to put in the time and effort to have a proper discussion with the people about the agenda items.”