The Sarasota County school district is cutting 180 teaching positions and 79 staff jobs for the 2026-27 school year, and whoever wins three open board seats on Tuesday, August 18, will decide how the district absorbs the blow. For families in the Sarasota County portion of Lakewood Ranch, the District 4 race, which covers northeast Sarasota County, lands closest to home.
The financial pressure is steep.
Florida's school voucher program drained an estimated $45 million from district revenue this year alone, according to Suncoast Searchlight reporting published Monday, July 27. On top of that, $115 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding has expired. The district, which earned its 23rd consecutive A rating from the Florida Department of Education for 2025-26, must now shrink its workforce even as it tries to maintain that record.
None of the three conservative incumbents — Bridget Ziegler (District 1), Karen Rose (District 5), or Robyn Marinelli (District 4) — are on the ballot, making a board shakeup all but certain. All fundraising totals below are as of Monday, July 27, per Suncoast Searchlight's reporting on candidate filings.
District 4: the Lakewood Ranch race
Two candidates are competing for the seat that covers northeast Sarasota County:
Megan Tennimon, a former elementary school teacher and mother of three children in the district, has raised more than $51,500. She is endorsed by board member Liz Barker, EduVoter, the Suncoast NEA Retired Teachers, and the School Safety Advocacy Council. Tennimon told Suncoast Searchlight she wants an income cap restored to the voucher system.
Frank DiCicco, an insurance agency owner and father of two Sarasota public school students, has raised more than $18,000. He is endorsed by Sheriff Kurt Hoffman and the Republican Party of Sarasota County. DiCicco does not live in District 4 but says he will move there if elected, citing a temporary rental situation due to a divorce.
District 1: three-way race, biggest fundraising
Jimmy Glover leads all candidates with more than $118,000 raised. He is the only registered Democrat in the field and chairs the board of Star Lab, a private Montessori-style school. He is endorsed by the Democratic Party of Sarasota County and board members Tom Edwards and Liz Barker.
Heidi Brandt, president of the parent-teacher organization at Southside Elementary, has raised more than $66,000. She is endorsed by the Republican Party of Sarasota County, state Rep. Fiona McFarland, and state Sen. Joe Gruters. Brandt supports vouchers but calls Florida's system "broken" and says she would have opposed the board's ICE cooperation resolution.
Teresa DeWitt, a therapist endorsed by U.S. Rep. Greg Steube and Sheriff Hoffman, has raised just over $19,000. She declined to be interviewed by Suncoast Searchlight.
District 5: retired teacher vs. conservative activist
Beth Mayberry, who retired in 2025 after more than 13 years teaching math and science in the district, has raised more than $71,600. She is endorsed by board members Barker and Edwards and the Sarasota County Democratic Party.
"I have grandkids who are going to our schools now, and I just am dismayed at the fact that we are asking so much of our teachers, and we are cutting different things because we're not getting enough money from Tallahassee," Mayberry told Suncoast Searchlight.
Michelle Pozzie, co-founder of "Open Mic" on Patriot TV and director of the Sarasota County Turning Point USA chapter, has raised about $15,900. She is endorsed by Sheriff Hoffman, U.S. Rep. Steube, and the Republican Party of Sarasota County.
How to vote
All registered Sarasota County voters may vote in all three school board races regardless of which district they live in. Voter registration for this primary closed Monday, July 20. Early voting runs Saturday, August 8, through Sunday, August 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, August 6, by 5 p.m. Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, August 18.
