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Flagler County School Board candidates debate school choice and its budgetary challenges

The American Association of University Women Flagler Branch hosted the candidate forum in the historic county courthouse's Vault Room.

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The seven Flagler County School Board candidates gathered inside a historic building on June 9 and debated how to tackle current and future challenges facing public education.

The American Association of University Women Flagler County Branch hosted the forum — the School Board candidates’ second in a week — inside the 1926 Vault Room Museum at the historic Flagler County courthouse. Flagler Schools is leasing the rest of the building from the county to house several programs.

The Vault Room, now a Flagler County Historical Society showpiece, served as the courthouse’s record storage room from 1926 to 2007. The forum had limited attendance with the room seating just 50, but the forum was also streamed and can be viewed on the “AAUWFlagler” Facebook page.

The School Board candidates are Cathy Moon and Jill Woolbright in District 1, Will Furry and Ron Wood in District 2 and Christy Chong, Ron Long and Trevor Tucker in District 3. The races are non-partisan and county residents can vote for all School Board districts. All of the candidates have satisfied their full qualifying requirements to be on the ballot. At least two of the races will be decided in the Aug. 18 primary with the winner required to receive over 50% of the vote.

Rhona DiCamillo, the president of the League of Women Voters of Jacksonville First Coast, moderated the forum. The AAUW local chapter posed three questions for the candidates:

  • How would you establish educational goals so every student regardless of ability has the same opportunity for success?
  • With increasing numbers choosing home school and other alternatives to public education, and the districts seeing enrollment declines that impact funding, what strategies would you support to strengthen public schools and address these budget challenges?
  • What are the key issues facing public education in Flagler County?

In answering the first question, Wood, Chong, Long and Moon said schools need to identify students’ interests at an early age.

“We need to look at every student through the lens of risk,” Wood said. “How do you support them in the moment so they can get through today and feel good about themselves?”

Furry, the District 2 incumbent, said schools should focus on students’ strengths rather than weaknesses. Tucker, who previously served on the board for 12 years, said electives should be replaced if poorly attended. Woolbright, a retired teacher who served on the board from 2020 to 2022, said teachers need to build relationships with students and parents.

In answering the second question, Tucker said private school and home school students should be required to take the same standardized tests that public school students have to take. “It’s hard to compare,” he said, “when there are no comparable statistics.” Wood said there should be more accountability for families that receive vouchers.

Long said that in speaking with parents who pulled their students out of public schools, their top reasons were bullying and safety, not curriculum. He said realigning positions to add more school resource officers would help solve that problem, and eliminating many positions that were added despite a flat enrollment would address budget concerns.

Chong, the School Board’s chair, said she supports school choice and believes Flagler Schools is the best choice. Woolbright agreed that the district provides the best choice after losing its way during COVID “when the whole country lost its way.” She said most families have come back, “and we want them back.” 

Moon, who has handled large budgets while working in government positions, said she has the right skill set to handle financial challenges.

Furry noted that Flagler Schools “has not seen the exodus that other school districts have,” and that under the current board the district has built up its general reserve fund to over $10 million.

As for key issues facing public schools, Moon said districts need to bring home rule back. “Tallahassee treats districts from Jacksonville to Miami all the same, and we’re not like Miami,” she said.

Chong said with planned development, the district will need to prepare to build new schools. “A new high school is $200 million, so how are we going to prepare?” she asked.

Wood said the board needs to exemplify good leadership. “Right now the culture of the board is broken,” he said, adding that is the reason he chose to run. Tucker said stability is key, When a superintendent has been in place for three to four years, district scores shoot up, he said.

Furry and Chong agreed, noting that under Superintendent LaShakia Moore’s leadership the district is projected to regain its A grade this year.

 

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