School Board candidates say students, teachers are top priorities

VENICE — Education should be student-centered and teachers need a raise.

The Sarasota County School Board candidates who attended a League of Women Voters of Sarasota County forum Wednesday agreed on those issues and a few others but disagreed on several more.

Liz Barker, running for the District 2 seat, and District 3 incumbent Tom Edwards and opponent Thomas Babicz participated in the event at the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library in South Venice.

Barker's opponent, incumbent Karen Rose, and Greg Wood, the third candidate in the District 3 race, declined to participate, moderator Carol Hartz said.

Edwards made a point of their absence when he said he thinks the election is about trust. Although he and Babicz agree on little, he said he respects him for showing up, and he questioned how voters can trust the candidates who didn't.

After introducing themselves, the candidates were asked to explain their educational philosophy.

Describing himself as a conservative, Babicz said schools are supposed to be free of politics and not indoctrinate students. He favors a classical academy curriculum, he said.

It wasn't clear whether he might have been referring to the curriculum associated with Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian college in Michigan. The School Board considered hiring a former Hillsdale curriculum specialist as a consultant last year but ultimately voted the idea down.

Edwards said the district should remain focused on educational outcomes because that's what has put it on the path to being the No. 1 district in the state. His goal, he said, is that as they approach graduation every senior is either "enrolled, enlisted or employed."

Barker said that when she was a school psychologist, she analyzed every decision by asking what would be best for the student and their family. The same test would apply as a School Board member but with educators included, she said.

Edwards said the district's budget is its most important issue. While he supports school choice, the state's universal voucher program provides a tax break for the wealthy and leaves school districts on an uneven playing field.

Barker said the board needs more honesty and transparency in order to deal with a "crisis of trust" resulting from numerous politically motivated decisions.

Babicz said he opposes social-emotional learning, and critical race theory "is just dividing us."

The state restricted teaching it last year.

He thinks the district has seen "unbelievable" wasteful spending, and said he would cut it by at least 10% with better results if elected.

Edwards pushed back, saying the board is "constantly trying to do more with less" but faces the challenge of figuring out how to "run a small city" on the funding it gets from the Legislature.

All three candidates said they generally support vouchers, but only Babicz didn't express concerns about them.

Freedom is the most important thing, he said.

Barker said that private schools have different levels of accountability from public schools, and they aren't required to accept students with disabilities, while Edwards said districts have lost authority over charter schools because of changes in state law.

Charter Schools USA, a for-profit company that operates through franchises, recently got two schools approved despite "inferior applications," he said.

The schools will pay management fees to the private parent company, he said, and will use an affiliated custodial service under a $300,000 contract.

"That means your tax dollars will trickle in to someone's pocket" in a blatant misuse of public dollars, he said.

There was a final note of agreement among the candidates in their concluding remarks: Vote.

Because School Board members are elected on a nonpartisan, countywide basis, all registered voters can vote in both races.

The primary will decide both of them as long as one candidate in the District 3 race gets 50% plus one vote of the ballots cast. If not, there will be a runoff in that race at the general election in November.

LWVSC plans to hold another forum if a runoff is necessary, President Shawn Bartelt said. Video of Wednesday's School Board forum is accessible at:

LWVSrq.org.