- July 9, 2026
Dear Editor:
Jill Woolbright is once again a District 1 School Board candidate. We remember her, and her various controversies and polarizing rhetoric when she had a seat on the Board from 2020 up until her defeat in 2022. She is running again to fill that now vacated board position.
There was one polarizing controversy that stood out and it alone suggests a problematic candidate.
While campaigning at local churches during her 2022 pre-election push Woolbright proclaimed that she was placed by God on the School Board, and was engaged in “satanic warfare” and a battle against “evil spirits” she believed had infiltrated the school district that included her fellow board members.
She wanted a “God-fearing majority” and no “satanic opposition”. That rhetoric shocked Board members at the time. Woolbright came off as extremist and divisive rather than a collaborative board member whose focus should have been on the important and purely secular core public educational metrics. She instead seemed to view her role on the board as a religious cosmic struggle between good and evil.
Jill Woolbright seems to have drifted into the realm of Christian nationalism that has unfortunately entered Florida politics. And we surely don’t want, or should ever consider, someone on our School Board who actually believed her school district colleagues were colluding with and were agents of Satan.
Woolbright’s unsettling ideology puts into question her fitness for the board and instills doubt that she respects and will abide by the church/state legal guardrails that are rightfully intended to keep public schools secular. In a diverse society, keeping public school governance religion neutral should be fundamental. Woolbright was unable to recognize that in 2022, was a polarizing and controversial figure then, with no guarantee that would change if reelected in 2026.
Margaret Minutaglio
Palm Coast
The Observer invited School Board candidate Jill Woolbright to write a response to the above letter:
Dear Editor:
As this campaign moves forward, I expected there would be attempts to mischaracterize both my faith and my record. I respect that people will have different opinions, but I believe the voters of Flagler County deserve the truth.
For 28 years, I had the privilege of teaching Flagler County's children before serving on the Flagler County School Board. I remain the only candidate in this race who has served both in a Flagler County classroom and on the Flagler County School Board. That experience gives me a unique understanding of what happens in our schools, both in the classroom and in the board room.
My life's work has never been about politics. It has been about children.
My faith is an important part of who I am. It guides me to serve with integrity, compassion, humility, and courage. It teaches me to love my neighbor, seek wisdom, and treat every person with dignity and respect. While my faith shapes my values, my responsibility as an elected official is to faithfully represent every student, every family, and every employee in our school district. That is exactly what I have done throughout my career.
During my time on the School Board, I was willing to ask difficult questions and stand up for parents and students, even when those positions were unpopular. I advocated for greater parental transparency, stronger parental rights, student safety, academic excellence, and accountability in our schools. I supported reopening our schools for in-person learning, strengthening campus safety, selecting a new superintendent, improving district leadership, supporting free meals for students, and ensuring taxpayer dollars were spent responsibly.
Many of the very issues that were criticized at the time have since been reflected in Florida law and statewide education policy. Parents now have greater rights. Transparency has become the expectation, not the exception. Schools across Florida have adopted policies that mirror many of the principles I supported while serving on the board. Leadership is not about following the crowd. Sometimes it means having the courage to stand for what is right before it becomes popular.
Not everyone agreed with every decision I made, and I respect that. Healthy disagreement is part of public service. What should never be part of public discourse is attempting to discredit someone because of sincerely held religious beliefs. Our nation was founded on the freedom to practice one's faith, and I have always respected both that freedom and my constitutional responsibility to serve everyone fairly.
This election should not be about political labels or recycled attacks from four years ago. It should be about the future of our schools. It should be about raising student achievement, supporting our teachers, maintaining safe campuses, respecting parents, and preparing every child for success.
I have spent nearly three decades serving the children and families of Flagler County. My record is one of service, leadership, and putting students first. I trust the voters to judge me by that record, not by distorted characterizations or political rhetoric.
The best measure of a leader is not whether every decision is popular at the moment, but whether those decisions stand the test of time. I believe my record speaks for itself. I stood for parents before it was popular. I stood for transparency before it became state policy. I stood for protecting children when it invited criticism. I have never been afraid to lead, and I will never stop putting students first.
Jill Woolbright
Candidate for Flagler County School Board, District 1
