Many Duval County voters saw school board candidates on their primary ballots, and they’ll see those races again in November. That’s because in all three nonpartisan races, none of the candidates garnered enough support — the required 50 percent plus one vote — to win Tuesday.
Now the top two candidates in each race will appear on voters’ November ballots in a runoff race.
District 2
Beaches voters will decide between Nick Howland and Elizabeth Anderson.
Howland received just over 30 percent of the vote Tuesday, and Anderson got 22 percent. The two were in a five-way primary race.
Howland, a Navy veteran and businessman, has the endorsement of the political arm of the Jax Chamber. He said at a school board forum that improved governance is the biggest need in Duval County Schools.
Anderson, a therapist and former teacher, said at that same forum the biggest issues facing the school district are enrollment, teacher retention and student engagement.
District 4
Voters in District 4, encompassing parts of Northwest Jacksonville and downtown, will decide between Darryl Willie and Cynthia Smith come November.
Willie received nearly 40 percent of the vote Tuesday, and Smith got just over 18 percent of the vote. The two were in a six-way race.
Willie, a former teacher and current executive director of Teach for America Jacksonville, has the endorsement of the political arm of the Jax Chamber. During a candidate forum last month he said the biggest challenge facing Duval schools is inequity.
Smith, who has been with the school district for 16 years working as a clerk, bookkeeper, teacher, instructional coach and assistant principal, didn’t attend either of the two District 4 school board forums WJCT covered.
District 6
Voters in District 6, which includes parts of the Westside, Riverside and Ortega areas, will decide between David Chauncey and Charlotte Joyce in November.
Joyce received about 26 percent of the vote, while Chauncey got just over 25 percent of the vote. The two were in a six-way race.
Joyce, the magnet coordinator of Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership, said during a school board forum last month that the biggest challenge facing the school district is its own reputation.
Chauncey, a former teacher who now works as a lawyer advising schools and colleges, has the endorsement of the political arm of the Jax Chamber. He said at that same forum the biggest challenge facing Duval schools is prioritizing student achievement with innovative ideas.
- See:Westside, Riverside School Board Candidates Share Views At JPEF Forum
- Related: Who’s Contributing To Duval’s Highest-Funded School Board Candidates?
Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at@lindskilbride.
