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District 1: Heidi Brandt
Endorsed by the Republican Party
I'm running for Sarasota County School Board because I believe every child deserves an excellent education, every teacher deserves to feel supported, and every parent deserves to have a voice.
As the daughter of two educators, I grew up understanding the incredible impact that teachers and a public education can have on a child's life. Today, I'm also a public-school mom. My daughter is going into 4th grade in one of our Sarasota County Elementary Schools.
Professionally, I earned my degree in Health and Exercise Physiology, but my greatest joy has been being a stay-at-home mom. It has truly been the most rewarding job I've ever had. It gave me the gift of being present, not only for my daughter, but also in our schools and throughout our community. Those experiences inspired me to become deeply involved as a volunteer, eventually serving as PTO President at Southside Elementary and as the incoming President of the Southside School Foundation for the Arts. Working alongside teachers, staff, parents, and students has only
strengthened my belief in the incredible potential of Sarasota County Schools.
My priorities are straightforward: improving early literacy, supporting and retaining outstanding teachers, expanding workforce and career education, maintaining safe schools, and strengthening partnerships with parents and our community.
I'm running because I believe in listening, collaborating, asking thoughtful questions, and making decisions based on what's best for students. Sarasota County Schools have an incredible legacy of excellence, and I would be honored to help build on that legacy for future generations.
District 1: Jimmy Glover
Endorsed by the Democratic Party
For more than 30 years, I have led teams, solved problems, and made critical decisions under pressure as a United Airlines Purser. My wife is a former Sarasota County teacher, and all four of our children graduated from Sarasota County Schools. Public education has shaped my family and strengthened my commitment to this community.
I also serve as the unpaid President of the Board at Star Lab, where I have worked alongside educators and families to help struggling young readers build the skills they need to succeed. My professional and community leadership experiences have taught me the importance of listening, building consensus, and making thoughtful decisions that put students first.
My mission is to restore trust in our School Board by providing steady, transparent, and student-centered leadership. I will work to improve early literacy, support and retain outstanding teachers and staff, strengthen partnerships with families, and ensure every decision is guided by what is best for students.
I believe our schools are strongest when parents, teachers, staff, and the community work together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to student success. I will listen first, lead with integrity, and remain focused on preparing every student for a successful future.
Students come first. Period.
District 4: Frank DiCicco
Endorsed by the Republican Party
I am Frank DiCicco and I am running for a Sarasota County School Board. I have lived in Sarasota County for 30 years, own insurance business, and I am the father of two teenage boys who currently attend high school public high school. I also helped raise a stepdaughter and foster daughter who both graduated Sarasota Military Academy. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and lived in New Jersey until 1996. In 2014 I graduated from Eckerd College in their adult program with high honors and I'm a member of Phi beta Kappa academic society. I've also served as a volunteer court mediator for Sarasota County court system which helped me become experienced in resolving disputes.
I would like to change the school board meetings back to 6:00 PM, so parents, students, and teachers can attend. I would like to see greater transparency to the district budget, and to ensure the Student Code of Conduct, Attendance Policy, and Dress Code Policy, are evenly enforced throughout the district. I would like to see an expanded workforce and career education, the trades, and internship programs with local businesses.
I want to eliminate parents having to purchase school supplies. 36,000 students’ families should not have to spend a retail price of $125 per student. It makes way more sense to have the school district purchase school supplies in bulk, which would literally be 1/3 of the price, which the school district can afford to pay since it is only 1/10 of 1% of the total budget.
District 5: Beth Mayberry
Endorsed by the Democratic Party
My children graduated from Sarasota public schools, and now my grandchildren attend
them. As a Certified Financial Planner, I volunteered in the schools. I discovered my
passion- and spent 14 years teaching Middle School here in Sarasota County. The
chaos driven by the current board majority motivated me to run.
Since 2002, Sarasota citizens have voted for an additional property tax to increase our
investment in public education. That commitment is being dismantled as millions of tax
payer dollars go to private schools and for-profit charters. Sarasota’s public schools
have lost 191 teaching positions and drastically reduced guidance counselors. We need
leaders with the financial discipline and conviction to preserve our legacy.
Student and teacher wellbeing is suffering. Children are coming to school anxious,
disengaged, or just struggling to show up. School reluctance, apathy, and disruptive
behaviors are rising. These are distress signals. Meanwhile, teachers are asked to do
more than ever, with less than ever, while being paid 50th in the nation. Real solutions
are needed. How do we help every child feel welcomed, and every staff member
valued?
Lastly we need to ensure every student succeeds- not just those with every advantage.
The best team for learning is a caring adult, a supported teacher, and an engaged
learner. Life doesn’t always make that possible. We need to recruit more caring adults
to act as mentors, tutors, and hands-on help in the classroom. No child should fall
through the cracks because their adults need a little extra help.
Editor’s Note: The Sarasota Brief attempted to contact all major candidates and received the statements above by the submission deadline. If additional statements are received after publication, they will be included in a future edition.
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