A photograph of Plavac speaking at a microphone wearing a white shirt and white sweater
Janine Plavac announced that she will run for the School Board of Alachua County District 1 seat this year. 
[Photo by Nick Anschultz | Mainstreet Daily News]

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 Elections Reporting Partnership.

A fourth candidate has entered the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) race.  

Janine Plavac, the current holder of the District 5 school board seat, told Mainstreet on Wednesday that she intends to run for the District 1 seat this year – a position currently held by Tina Certain. 

Plavac’s and Certain’s seats are among three on the school board that are up for reelection this year, with District 3 (Sarah Rockwell) being the other.  

Rockwell announced in December that she will be seeking reelection, while Certain has filed to run for the Alachua County Commission District 2 seat.  

Plavac was appointed to the District 5 seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2025 to fill the vacancy of Kay Abbitt, who resigned in December 2024. Plavac is currently serving the remainder of Abbitt’s term, which ends this year. 

In an emailed statement to Mainstreet on Wednesday, Plavac explained her decision to run in this year’s school board election.  

“As an Alachua County School Board member, I have been dedicated to thoughtful decisions affecting anyone that might be struggling with the education processes for our children within our community,” she said. “From students, parents, administrators and every employee, I believe in listening first, analyzing and making informed decisions.  I respect that every voice matters.” 

So far, no one has filed to challenge Plavac for the District 1 seat. Rockwell is also currently the lone candidate for the District 3 seat after Pamela Marshall-Koons withdrew from the school board race in December.  

Currently, two candidates have filed to run for the District 5 seat – Annie Muscato and Jancie Vinson. This is Vinson’s third time running for the school board after unsuccessful campaigns in 2010 and 2014.  

Read more at Mainstreet Daily News.

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.   

Before joining Mainstreet Daily News to cover K-12 and higher education, Nick spent three and a half years at the Levy Citizen, where he served as the newspaper’s editor/reporter. In that role, Nick covered everything from government and education to sports and local events. He discovered his passion for journalism while attending the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2021. When he is not typing words on his keyboard, you can usually find Anschultz watching sports – especially his Florida Gators – fishing, or spending time with friends and family. Nick is also a Report for America corps member.