school boards

Derek Barrs was appointed to the Flagler County School Board, succeeding a member who resigned in September. Barrs lost his August primary race in Flagler.

Voters are casting ballots on a proposed constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 1, that would require partisan school-board elections starting in 2026.

The new program is called "Fall into Action." It gives Floridians the tools to voice support for LGBTQ+ students at school board meetings.

“After all, the Legislature is term-limited out at eight years, and what’s good for us is good for pretty much anybody else," said Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

Florida Republicans have been trying for years to make local school board races partisan, but it may finally happen this time, if Florida voters agree. The move comes after a contentious election where Gov. Ron DeSantis targeted several local school board members as part of his ongoing effort to counter so-called “wokeness” in public schools.

A House subcommittee has voted in support of putting a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled that he will make a priority of passing a long-debated proposal that would prevent teachers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks.

An appeals panel upheld a district judge’s denial of a preliminary injunction against the policy, which Moms for Liberty members contend violates First Amendment rights.The group, which was founded by two former Florida school-board members, gained national prominence as it has fought school boards on issues such as mask requirements during the pandemic.

Political action committees with backing from GOP donors contributed money to local school board races in several states, including Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis allies and appointees are replacing longtime incumbents on two of the state's largest district school boards — positioning them to advance conservative policy priorities in some of the state's most Democratic-leaning counties.