Two candidates are seeking the votes for Flagler County School Board, District 4. This is a nonpartisan office that will be elected by all voters during the August primary.
News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
| CANDIDATES |
Sally Hunt
Occupation: Business Owner
Age: 44
Your family: Husband of 12 years and almost 11-year-old daughter
Education: Master of Science in Education, Bachelor of Science in Business Education, and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Political experience: No previous political experience
What do you see as the top three issues you’ll likely face while holding this office?
- With my background, I can help: 1) ensure our students graduate with the essential knowledge and skills needed for the next chapter of their lives, 2) create a supportive and engaging work environment for our teachers and staff, and 3) improve school and district metrics so that our parents are confident their children are receiving the best education possible and also for our community to be able to attract and retain highly qualified professionals - doctors, small business owners, etc.
“Parental rights” has recently become a law in Florida and a political buzzword. What does that concept mean to you and how would it affect your decisions on the school board?
- Parental rights means parents get to make decisions for their child(ren) on school matters outside public education standards. For instance, if the Health Department wants to offer vaccines at school, parents get to decide if they would like their children to be vaccinated. If there is a field trip, parents get to decide if their children will participate. Parents are able to decide which books their children can check out from the library. Parental rights also means having visibility to the content being taught in their children’s classroom(s). To my knowledge, Flagler County Schools respect and uphold parental rights and also welcome and need more parental involvement.
How would you balance new state laws and guidelines restricting how history, gender identity and civics can be taught in public school classrooms with the need to educate children in a complex 21st Century society?
- The school board and administration must follow laws and policies while also ensuring every student and member of staff feels embraced and highly supported in our schools. I am ready to collaborate with my fellow board members and the administration to navigate this complexity and bring the focus back to a safe and healthy learning environment and effective education.
Outline your ideas to address teacher shortages and morale.
- In addition to teaching in public schools in both General Education and Exceptional Student Education (ESE), I’ve had a successful career as a leader and consultant, specializing in employee training and development, engagement, and communication. Clients and employers include Walmart Home Office, Sam’s Club, and Nike. I also started my career in recruiting with John Deere. Flagler Schools needs to start with a change on school board August 23. The District 1 incumbent’s actions, rhetoric, and tone can be linked to the dysfunction that is causing many of the recruiting and morale challenges. There has been a cascading negative impact that recruting, retention, and engagement initiatives cannot help if she remains on the board.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I understand the big picture of why our schools are so important to our community. Whether a resident is 5 or 95, everyone in Flagler County has a vested interest in the August school board election. Not only do we want a safe and effective learning environment for our students, we also need highly rated schools to attract and retain talented professionals like healthcare providers, educators, and business owners.
Our quality of life largely depends on working parents, and parents care deeply about their children’s safety and success. Our beachside community must be a great place to live for both retirees and working professionals and that starts with our schools.
We need to get the school board back on track, far away from book bans, chaos, and extremist groups (brought on largely by the actions and inactions of the District 1 incumbent).
I am passionate about being a positive and effective community leader for Flagler County and am ready to get started!
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
- My focus will be on objectives, like helping Flagler Palm Coast High School (FPC) achieve an A grade from the Florida Department of Education, up from their current C. I hope to be remembered for bringing parents and teachers together to ensure all our third grade students are able to read at or above grade level (or to the best of their ability). I want to be part of the team that helped our Flagler County School District be the best in the state, with an A rating each year. I have always been known as an effective professional who gets things done and achieves high results; I expect nothing less for my time on school board.
Campaign website: schoolboardsally.com
Campaign’s social media site(s): Facebook - schoolboardsally
Jill Woolbright
Occupation: Incumbent School Board Member; Retired teacher
Age: 64
Your family: Married with four grown children and five grandchildren
Education: University of Central Florida BS in Elementary Education
Political experience: Flagler School Board District 1 2020-present
What do you see as the top three issues you’ll likely face while holding this office?
- Increase student progress utilizing remediation and/or acceleration.
- Maximize parental involvement ensuring parental rights over curriculum, instruction, books, and mental health.
- Ensure fiscal responsibility while planning for growth and competitive pay.
News4Jax asked each candidate three additional questions to help voters determine which most agrees with their views:
“Parental rights” has recently become a law in Florida and a political buzzword. What does that concept mean to you and how would it affect your decisions on the school board?
- Parents need to be provided transparency regarding curriculum, mental heath plans, sex education, appropriate book choices, and critical race theory and assured school districts are following all state laws. Parents need to option to opt put of classes/instruction they feel go against their family values.
How would you balance new state laws and guidelines restricting how history, gender identity and civics can be taught in public school classrooms with the need to educate children in a complex 21st Century society?
- There is nothing to balance. Constitutional officers take an oath of office to uphold Florida laws. Teachers need to teach the Florida standards and keep their personal agendas out of the classroom.
Outline your ideas to address teacher shortages and morale.
1. Continue to have competitive pay compared to surrounding counties.
2. Recruit interns from local colleges.
3. Create cohorts of support personnel to aid them in getting their teaching credentials.
4. Incentivize education graduates to come back to Flagler County to teach post college.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
- As an established 33 year resident, retired Flagler County teacher of 28 years, and active community member in various civic organizations, I am by far the most vested and qualified school board candidate.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
- I want to be remembered as the school board member that raised standards and expectations for student success for all students while holding all stakeholders responsible for doing their part in educating our youth.
Campaign website: Jill4kids.com
Campaign’s social media site(s): Facebook - Jill Woolbright For Flagler County School Board District 1 and Jill4kids on Instagram.