Bell rings on a quiet election year

Meanwhile, back at the School Board.

Three Citrus County School Board seats are up for election this year. Did you know that? I didn’t, and it’s my job to know such things.

The last few weeks, I’ve had this nagging feeling that I’m forgetting something significant in this year’s political coverage. Then I saw Thomas Kennedy at an event a few weeks ago and it dawned on me that I hadn’t a clue what’s up with School Board politics these days.

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Within a week, Kennedy and incumbent Joe Faherty announced re-election plans, board member Doug Dodd said he would not run again, and former district administrator Mike Mullen jumped in.

Whew!

I’m not going to suggest that School Board elections carry the same political weight as the County Commission. They do not. Some years, maybe. This year, not even close.

First off, the School Board dynamic is much different than the County Commission in one vital way. Votes elect the top administrator of the School District. Superintendent of Schools and School Board, though they have different roles, are co-equals politically. One can’t do much without the other’s support.

That’s why we want a superintendent who works well with others, and board members who understand they can’t tell the superintendent what to do.

The County Commission is the opposite. It hires the administrator; Steve Howard’s employment status can be changed instantly by the whims of three to five individual commissioners.

See the difference? Less pressure on the School Board. That’s just the way it is. My School Board friends would say I’m making this too simplistic, and I probably am. County Commission candidates will spend tens of thousands of dollars on their campaigns this year, while School Board candidates will spend a tiny fraction of that.

And that’s assuming we have actual contested races.

Certain political positions are fairly safe for incumbents. What I call the real jobs — Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, Clerk of Clerk, and Property Appraiser — rarely have serious competitors. Those jobs are less on policy, and more on efficiency and customer service. Sheriff and Superintendent of Schools are also real jobs, though I acknowledge that those positions are more political than the others.

The School Board is a policy-setting group. The Superintendent’s position isn’t. What’s the difference? If you don’t like the dress code, blame the School Board. If you don’t like how it’s enforced, blame the Superintendent.

School Board races rarely draw big names outside of the school community; Ken Frink in 2024 was an exception. School board candidates tend to be political novices, and they are often surprised with the grueling pace of a local campaign.

So, back to the current situation.

Thomas Kennedy has served four terms. He defeated an incumbent in 2010 and had the very good fortune of sharing his first School Board term with Pat Deutschman’s final four years in office. Pat’s focus was always “kids” — we used the same word for any human under 20 — and Thomas has carried that mantle. 

Thomas is also huge on communication. He has an active blog called Thomas Talks, writes guest newspaper columns, and wants us to understand the complex challenges facing public education.

Joe Faherty was first elected four years ago, defeating a longtime incumbent in a low-key race. I’m sure he’s a fine School Board member. Haven’t heard one word against him. Not one word! That’s Joe. Keeping his head in the game. Just a hard-working community supporter who supports kids. 

Doug Dodd, who followed Pat Deutschman, announced he would depart after three terms. Speculation immediately arose about his future political plans. Doug’s name was always among those tossed about for sheriff, but he never took the bit, and that ship has since sailed. He said he wanted to give others the chance to serve. 

(Mike note: The blog mistakenly said Doug served two terms. It's corrected to three. Apologies!)

That brought Mike Mullen in. Mike is a former high school principal and was also a top assistant superintendent to Sandra “Sam” Himmel. Yeah, that’s great. My connection to Mike is this: We were once neighbors in the Inverness Highlands, and Mike’s then-teenage daughter babysat my then-little girl. 

Way too early to know if the School Board will draw additional candidates this year. I’m not hearing more than the normal angst from taxpayers, parents, teachers, or kids. It’s politics though so anything can happen.

By the way, no school today for Presidents Day. Let’s all enjoy it, friends.

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