Incumbents hope to defend their seats in all three Hernando County School Board races this year.
In a district that has made national headlines for culture war issues, new and old candidates alike said they want to leave politics behind and focus on students and teachers.
Hernando County schools, like many other districts, face uncertainty as enrollment declines mean less funding. How to attract families to public schools and holding private and charter schools accountable are top priorities for candidates.
School board races are non-partisan, meaning political parties are not listed on ballots, and voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote for any candidate in the primary and general elections.
Board members are elected at large, but must live in their respective districts. They serve four-year terms and earn about $47,000 annually.
District 1
In district 1, incumbent Mark Johnson, 76, who is a staunch advocate for parental rights, faces a challenge from veteran educator Dana Pearce, 64.
Johnson, a licensed private investigator, joined the board in 2014, then lost his 2018 re-election bid. He returned to the board in 2022 after narrowly winning the run-off.
His opponent, Pearce, recently retired from Springstead High School, where she served as principal for seven years. In her four decade career in education, Pearce spent 25 years in Hernando County.
“It’s the bread and butter, I've known this from the inside out, I've worked at every level,” Pearce told WUSF during a candidate forum held at the GFWC Historic Brooksville Woman’s Club.
“[I’m] not about politics, headlines or special interests,” Pearce said during the forum’s Q&A.
Pearce said one area she would like to see more local control is how the district spends state education dollars.
“If we had greater flexibility, I would prioritize recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers, expanding career and technical education, strengthening school safety, and investing in programs that directly benefit students in our community,” said Pearce.
In Johnson’s opening statements at the forum, he touted replacing DEI, or diversity equity and inclusion, and critical race theory with “meritocracy.” He also said, “there's only two sexes: there's boys and there's girls.”
He celebrated Hernando’s 93.5% graduation rate, the highest in ten years and the launching of truancy court to address chronic absenteeism.
Some of Johnson’s top priorities include stressing the basics of reading, math, history and civics; removing underperforming, costly programs; becoming more competitive with private and charter schools by promoting their unique vocational programs; and addressing parents’ concerns.
Johnson is listed among a number of state and local candidates who signed a pledge to parental rights on the Moms for Liberty website. The group is considered a far-right organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and has rallied against pandemic restrictions, led book removals, and opposed curriculum mentioning LGBTQ+ or racial diversity.
When asked about his connection to the group, Johnson said he does not think it will impact his campaign, and lauded the district’s efforts to remove certain “pornographic” books.
Johnson has raised more than $11,000 in campaign funds, about half of which was self-funded. He received donations from several real estate and development companies, including The Villas at Seven Hills, Forest Oak Villas and Deeb Companies.
He’s also received endorsements from West Pasco Hernando Realtors, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, and county commissioner Steve Champion, whose daughter is running for the district 5 school board seat.
Johnson switched from the Democratic to Republican party in 2018.
Pearce has raised more than $5,000. About $1,000 was her own contribution. Pearce has been registered as a Republican since as early as 2013.
District 3
In what may be the most politically charged race, incumbent Shannon Rodriguez, 52, a proponent of traditional values, faces off against Luciano Vignali, 37, who received support from the Hernando County Democratic Club.
Rodriguez, who serves as vice chair, was backed by Moms for Liberty when she was elected to the board in 2022. She then came under fire for reporting a school teacher to the Florida Department of Education in 2023 for showing a Disney movie featuring a gay character. The move prompted a petition for Rodriguez’s removal.
Vignali has two kids who attended Winding Waters K-8, the school that was at the center of the controversy. He said that moment was a turning point for him and his family.
“I don’t think what we’re doing currently makes everybody feel welcome,” Vignali told WUSF during the GFWC forum.
Vignali, who works as an office manager at American Injectables, said he wants to pay teachers a competitive wage, and prevent too many positions from being filled with substitutes.
“We're just putting a band-aid on a problem that's going to get out of control,” said Vignali.
As one of two registered Democrats running for the school board, Vignali may face an uphill battle in a Republican heavy county. He ran unsuccessfully for county commission in 2024 as a Democrat.
Though school board races are non-partisan, Florida school board issues and elections have become increasingly politicized in recent years. But there are signs that polarization may be waning.
In 2024, Floridians voted to keep school board races non-partisan. And, in what appears to be a shift in attention towards national politics, Moms for Liberty Florida has not made any financial contributions to local candidates this year.
“I don't think there should be a strong political battleground surrounding education, because it's not what needs to lead. What needs to lead is academic achievement,” said Vignali.
Rodriguez did not attend the GFWC candidate forum, and has not responded to requests for comment.
She and her husband own Dynasty Collision and Auto Repair in Weeki Wachee. The couple has four daughters. Three of them are enrolled within the Hernando County School District.
Rodriguez leads all candidates in campaign contributions with $38,000. About $25,000 was self-funded. Her donations include several from real estate and development companies, Tri-County development, The Villas at Seven Hills, Rialto Apartments, Forest Oaks and Deeb Companies.
She also received endorsements from U.S. Rep. Bilirakis and is listed on a MAGA voting guide by the Hernando County Conservatives.
Vignali raised over $4,000 in campaign contributions, mostly from individual donors.
District 5
In the district 5 race, incumbent Susan Duval, 79, faces challenges from newcomers Kara Champion, 28, and Amanda Cunningham-Rud, 47.
A candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to win. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters of the August primary will advance to the November general election for a runoff.
Duval, a registered Democrat, was elected to the board in 2014 with 62% of the vote in the run-off election and has defended her seat ever since.
She is a Florida native and attended public schools in Pinellas County, before moving to Hernando County in 1969, where she began teaching. She served as the principal of Springstead High School for 11 years before retiring and making her run for school board.
Her children are graduates of Hernando district schools.
Running for her fourth term, Duval said she still feels she has a lot to contribute. WUSF reached Duval by phone as she was out of the country and could not attend the forum.
"Education has always been a part of my life," said Duval, "I'm driven by giving service."
In terms of funding challenges, Duval said the district needs to do a "better job of marketing ourselves," as public schools are "not the only option in town anymore."
Duval said politics has made things difficult in recent years and she'd prefer if the school board can work together.
"As a board member, we're looking out for all students,," she said, "Not some of them. All of them."
Duval has run a slim campaign, funding herself with about $2,815.
Cunningham-Rud is in her fifth year as a public school teacher and touts her background in public policy. Before going into education, Cunningham-Rud worked in the Indiana Attorney General’s office as a legal analyst and as a director of communications for the Indiana State Treasurer.
She serves on the executive board for Brooksville Main Street and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 99. Cunningham-Rud also founded the parent teacher organization at Moton Elementary School.
During the GFWC forum, Cunningham-Rud said one of the biggest challenges the district will face is funding loss due to enrollment declines. Although Hernando County's population is growing, some families are choosing to enroll their children in private or charter school options.
Cunningham-Rud’s own child is enrolled in a local Christian school after experiencing bullying, an issue she said is affecting many families.
“Safe and orderly schools matter. Repeated disruptions and chronic absenteeism hurt student achievement,” Cunningham-Rud said.
Though she said she supports parental choice, Cunningham-Rud said the state voucher program needs to have greater accountability.
“Any program funded by taxpayers should have extremely strong oversight, transparency, and protection against waste, fraud, and abuse,” she said.
Champion is the daughter of Hernando County Commissioner Steve Champion. She did not attend the forum due to illness.
Champion, who is a 2020 graduate of UCF, out-fundraised her competitors with more than $32,270. About $4,000 is self-funded.
She also received a $1,000 contribution from American Gun & Pawn, her family’s business that is listed as her primary source of income.
Along with the rest of the more conservative slate on the ballot, Champion received an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Bilirakis and financial contributions from real estate companies including The Villas at Seven Hills, Forest Oaks Villas and Tri County Development.
Champion has also received an endorsement from district 1 County Commissioner Ryan Amsler, and is listed on the same MAGA voting guide as Rodriguez.
On her campaign Facebook page, Champion wrote, “We all want high-quality education for our children. We don’t want indoctrination or politics.”
She then asked why enrollment rates in public schools are down, while enrollment at charters and privates are going up.
“I would partner with them and see why parents are enrolling in those schools; what they are doing; and then build parents’ confidence in our public schools,” she wrote.
Champion has a step daughter in Hernando County Schools and a 2-year-old son in daycare.
This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Election Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.
Find more candidate information in the Florida Public Media Voter Guide.
