Clay County school board candidates hold forum ahead of primary

Candidates for the Clay County School Board participated in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters ahead of the August 18 primary election. The forum featured challengers for three seats in Districts 1, 4, and 5, though none of the current board members attended. District 1 Chair Erin Skipper and District 4 Member Michele Hanson each face one challenger, while District 5 Member Ashley Gilhousen faces two.

Challengers included Lara Libretto, a former educator seeking to support teachers and student achievement, and Michael Rathjen, a business professional running due to concerns regarding school funding and budgetary shortfalls.

In a broader regional effort, the News Collaborative of Central Florida (NCCF)—a partnership of seven local news organizations including the Orlando Sentinel and WKMG-News 6—has released a nonpartisan voter guide. This collaborative initiative aims to provide voters with standardized candidate information for federal, state, county, and judicial offices across Central Florida to increase election engagement.