Florida voters push back against culture war agenda in school board races

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.

Of the 23 candidates endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, 11 of them lost with at least five others headed to runoffs. The incumbents DeSantis targeted in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties fended off newcomers’ efforts to flip their boards, while the one in Pasco who DeSantis backed suffered a narrow loss to a teacher with past ties to Florida Freedom to Read Project.

In Indian River County — where the controversial conservative Moms for Liberty group got its wings — the governor’s hand-picked board member went down to defeat, while his choice to oust a St. Lucie County incumbent failed to gain traction, TC Palm reports.

In Sarasota County, the incumbent who DeSantis targeted for removal won, while the one the governor backed for reelection lost, the Herald-Tribune reports.

The pushback went beyond the races where DeSantis officially weighed in, too.

In Orange County, a more liberal area where DeSantis did not make endorsements, a candidate with ties to Moms for Liberty resoundingly lost to a candidate backed by progressive Democrats, Florida Politics reports. 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. In Miami-Dade County, a DeSantis-backed incumbent led the field but was headed to a runoff, leaving the board’s majority in flux until November, the Miami Herald reports. In Lee County, two of three candidates endorsed by DeSantis won their races, with the third headed to the general election, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

A spokesperson for DeSantis said the governor’s team looked at the evening’s results as a success.

“We made a lot of headway last cycle, and this was about pushing the envelope and winning tough races,” spokesperson Taryn Fenske told the Tampa Bay Times via email. “We flipped the Duval school board, for example, which is a huge result. Every race we supported was an uphill challenge. We didn’t reserve our support to only winnable races. That’s not how you shift culture and policy.”

In notable superintendent races ... Former state senator John Legg, who runs a charter school, won the Republican primary for Pasco County superintendent and will face a no-party candidate in November. • Incumbent Leon County superintendent Rocky Hanna easily won his Democratic primary and will face a no-party challenger in November, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Citrus County assistant superintendent Scott Hebert won the seat that had been held by Sam Himmel for the past 20 years, Florida Politics reports. • Jefferson County schools will get a new superintendent after incumbent Edyie Tricquet lost her primary, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Hot topics

Cellphones: Nearly 300 Martin County students had their phones and other electronic devices confiscated at school as the district cracks down on unauthorized use during classes, WPTV reports.

Chaplains: The Florida Department of Education issued a model policy for school districts to consider as they weigh the options of allowing religious chaplains to provide counseling to students whose parents agree, News Service of Florida reports. The concept has not gained traction in most districts since lawmakers approved it.

Land deal: The Sarasota-Manatee airport authority withdrew its proposed land sale to New College, after it became clear the FAA will not approve it, WUSF reports.

Security: Volusia County students will be subject to random searches with metal detectors as part of the district’s newly adopted code of conduct, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

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.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s the link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... What a moving version of the National Anthem from the Soul Children of Chicago.